X Men: Afterlife
by Descena
Summary: It's come to this... Jean gets a vision she tells no one about. And the XMen get a huge surprise. Another Phoenix? Did Sinister do the impossible? And can Jean defeat a part of herself? COMPLETE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

**Third story, the first two X-Men the Legacy, and X-Men Ashes to Ashes**

You don't need to read those to understand this one...

_Jean is obessed with finding Sinister and getting her revenge, so much so that she's pushing the people that loves her the most away, including Logan, whom she has started a relationship with. The Friends and Humanity show up and cause the X-Men problems as Mastermind joins them and focuses on the X-Men and destroying them. Can the others, and Logan, help Jean find her way back (to the light) and show her that family and love is more important than power and revenge? Or will it destroy her?_

_**Please review!**_

* * *

Jean's back hit the ground, knocking the breath from her, as a small gasp escaped her lips. Her enemy targeted at her again, but Jean predicted it and rolled over quickly, jumping to her feet and making her way behind a car, as the blast hit another car, where Jean was, and caused it to explode. She groaned and leaned against the car door as she caught her breath. She heard the Sentinel making it's way to her, so she straightened up, as he eyes began to glow. Taking a quick and careful peek around the corner, Jean saw where the machine was and rose to the air. As she did so, her body became surrounded by fire as the giant firebird rose in the air with her, above her. Jean looked her eyes on the machine and grinned wickedly as it turned to her, posed to strike once more. Jean threw her arms out in front of her, showing the bird where to attack. As the Sentinel fired, the bird took off, absorbing the machines blast. As the bird continued, it flew directly through the machine, causing it to burn a hole in its metal body. Jean watched and smiled as she used her powers and crushed the machine down to dust, as if it were nothing.

As she came back down to the ground, Jean noticed a man walked towards her; she didn't need to guess who it was however. "Well, well," he said. "I must say Jean Grey…you never cease to amaze me." Jean said nothing. Sinister smiled at her. "What? No hello?" Still silence. "Jean, what happened a few months ago…it happened. I was really hoping you wouldn't hold it against me."

Jean titled her head to the side slightly, her eyes changing from the bright orange glow to the cold, dark blackness. Sinister noticed this, but made no move or sound to show it. Using her powers, Jean forced Sinister to his knees. He groaned in shock as his knees hit the dirt, hard. Jean looked down at him, with hatred. Without moving a muscle, all of the flesh on Sinister was torn off by an unseen force, a result of Jean's Dark Phoenix powers. Sinister screamed in pain as only his muscles showed; it was a miracle he was still alive; but Jean would take care of that soon. He looked down at his body in shock, then back up at Jean. "Wh-?"

He never finished the sentence; soon the muscle and tissue was ripped off as well until his skeleton was showing…and then Jean turned him into dust as well, crushing the bones as if they were nothing, until Mr. Sinister was no more. He was nothing but dust, a bad memory and plague to Jean.

As her eyes returned to normal, the scenery disappeared, until Jean stood alone in a huge metal dome, called the danger room. As she began to walk towards the exit, she couldn't help but be disappointed. But Jean did know one thing… she'd find Sinister…and she'd kill him.

* * *

Jean walked into the library quietly, already knowing Logan was there, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the doorway. Logan looked up from his book to acknowledge her. "Never thought I'd ever see that," she joked.

Logan looked confused at first, then at the book, and smiled slightly. "Jus touchin' up," he replied.

"On what?"

"My languages." Logan placed the book down and walked over to Jean. "After working with Chuck these past few months, I realized I can speak different languages."

Jean raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Logan nodded. "How are you?"

"Fine," she answered quickly.

"Really, Red."

Jean sighed. "I said I'm fine, Logan. I really don't want to go any further than that."

Logan reached out and touched Jean's cheek softly, forcing her to look at him in the eyes. "Jeannie…"

Jean's eyes met his, and she felt a surge of emotions rise up within her. "You wouldn't understand," she said softly.

"Try me."

The look on Logan's face, full of confusion, passion, hunger, love and concern, we the same face that reminded her of that day two months ago…the day that Emma Frost left and new problems arose…

_**FLASH:**_

_Logan woke up with a startle. Breathing heavily, and covered in sweat, he looked around at his surroundings in confusion. The sun was beaming through his window and he heard the children playing outside, but the last thing that he remembered was the awful feeling of someone picking around in his brain and messing with is memories. Logan quickly jumped out of the bed and threw on a shirt as he raced downstairs. By the time he reached the landing and rounded the corner into the kitchen, he noticed that mostly everyone was already in there, chatting and laughing among themselves. Logan looked at them, confusion etched on his face, as they all remained silent, seeing Logan standing in the doorway._

_"Logan?" Hank asked cautiously. "You okay?"_

_Logan ran his hand through his hair. "What happened?"_

_Ororo and the others all exchanged looks. "Honestly…we don't know."_

_"You just woke up?" Scott asked. Logan nodded. "Well, you were out longer than us, but we did the same thing. We woke up, and it was two days later."_

_"Does anyone know what happened?"_

_Everyone shook their heads and Logan grunted, then turned and went down the hallway towards the Professor's office. Without knocking, Logan opened the door and walked in. "What the hell happened, Chuck?"_

_Charles looked at Logan, in both annoyance and confusion. "Logan…a little late in joining us, aren't you?"_

_Logan shook his head, and finally noticed that he was holding a meeting with another person. __Jean_

_"Oh uh…"_

_Jean stood up and walked over to the doorway. "Don't worry about it, Logan," she said as she opened the door. "I was just leaving."_

_"Well continue this later then Jean," Charles called out to her. But Jean was already gone._

_Logan shot the Professor a questioning look and asked, "What the hell was that 'bout?"_

_Charles sighed and shook his head. "One of the very reasons I believe you are here." Logan raised an eyebrow. "You just woke up, didn't you, Logan? And you had what appeared a very real dream…"_

_"…of us getting attacked or something," Logan finished. "Yeah."_

_Charles nodded, thinking deeply. "We all experienced the same thing."_

_"Do ya have any idea what exactly happened?"_

_"No, unfortunately I do not," the Professor answered. "Jean does have a theory though…" Logan crossed his arms over his chest and stared at him intently, to show that he was listening. "She believes that someone attacked us because they were __looking__ for something."_

_"Something or __someone__?"_

_"Either or," Charles stated. "The fact is, we do not remember the past two days since the attack, and even that is fuzzy, myself and Jean included. She also believes that Sinister is linked with the attack."_

_Logan shook his head. "I dunno," he said quietly._

_Charles eyes searched Logan's as he tried to get a good read on him. "You don't believe her."_

_"Not __her__," Logan corrected. "__Him__. It doesn't sound right. Like something isn't adding up."_

_Charles nodded understanding. "Unfortunately, until we can get some answers, we will just have to continue doing our daily rituals. If Sinister is somehow involved, we will find out."_

_"I hope you're right, Professor."_

_**End Flashback

* * *

**_

As Marie was watching television in the dayroom, Remy walked past, and noticed her sitting alone. A small smile crept on his face as he walked in silently and sat down next to her, pretending it was nothing. Marie, noticing it, turned to him and watched as he pretending to ignore her. Remy turned and looked at her and blushed slightly as she giggled. "What're you doing?"

Remy shrugged. "Remy taught you looked lonely here, Cherie."

Marie's eyebrows rose. "Oh?" Remy nodded. "And what were you going to do then?"

"Well, Remy was just going to offer you company."

"And…you think I need it?"

Remy looked at Marie closely and frowned as he proceeded to get up. "Well, if Remy's not welcome…"

Marie grabbed a hold of his jacket, and he stopped, looking down at her. "No," she said softly. "I would like you to stay."

Doing so, very slowly, Remy sat back down, and Marie scooted closer to him. Rising an eyebrow, he let her move his arm around her as she grabbed the popcorn next to her and sat it in his lap, taking some out as well. Smiling at him, she put a handful in her mouth and continued to watch the movie as Remy grinned to himself.

* * *

**Please review**


	2. Chapter 2

Jean's eyes fluttered as she fought to stay awake. She felt odd; out of place, and had a piercing headache as her vision cleared up, adjusting to the darkness that surrounded her. "Wake up sunshine," she heard a man purr. Jean concentrated on focusing her vision on the voice and saw a man standing in front of her. It didn't take Jean long to recognize the man in front of her; nor to realize that she was restrained and was wearing a strange device on her neck. "What is this?" she growled. "Where am I?"

Sinister smiled at her. "Not just you my dear," he told her. Frowning, Jean looked around and realized that he had captured all of the X-Men, and they too were restrained. Jean glared at him. She focused her powers on him, picturing him going through the wall and burning alive. But that didn't happen. Her eyes widened as his smile grew wider. "You can't use your powers on me, Jean Grey. That nice little device on your neck, thanks to some…_friends_ of mine, keeps your powers repressed. So…you're defenseless."

Glancing around, Jean noticed all the medical machines and examination tables. "What do you want with us?"

Sinister grinned and walked closer to her. "What any scientist wants…to experiment." He giggled at the expression on Jean's face and continued. "You see, Jean, just as I told you before, I've always had an interest in you. You're the most powerful mutant on the planet. You…and Wolverine." Jean's eyes widened. "Now…imagine if you two were to consummate. It'll be the start of the perfect, and most powerful, generation of mutants. We will bring humans to their knees and destroy all the weak ones and those who stand in our way."

Jean scowled. "You're sick."

"Perhaps," he said, smiling as he turned around. Jean's eyes narrowed as she saw a figure approaching from the shadows. "Ah yes…Jean Grey, meet my associate, and partner in crime…"

Jean shot up in bed and gasped, as she clutched her stomach and panted heavily, attempting to catch her breath. As brushed her hair back with her hand, she realized her top was covered in sweat. She calmed down and looked over at the naked body next to her. Sighing, Jean pulled the covers back and walked to the bathroom. Seconds later, Jean was throwing everything she ate early, in the toilet. As she brushed her teeth and rinsed her face off, she kept thinking back to the nightmare. It seemed so real to ignore and many parts of it bothered her. It felt as if it really happened; and all it was, was a distinct memory. Another thing that bothered her was Sinister's mystery 'partner'. And just who were his '_friends?'

* * *

Ororo walked in the kitchen, surprised at how many people were up considering the time. Smiling, Ororo greeted everyone and poured herself a cup of coffee. She turned and walked over to the counter where Hank, Bobby, Marie, Scott and Kitty were sitting, watching the television, as Logan and Jean entered. Glancing at the television as he went in the fridge, Logan asked, "What's this?"_

Scott turned around to see him pull out a beer. Ororo gave him a look but Logan ignored her. "New anti-mutant group."

"Great," Logan muttered.

With her arms crossed across her chest, Jean watched the television and listened intently to the news reporter. "…Already several mutants, and few humans, have expressed their negative feelings towards the new activist group that calls themselves, The friends of Humanity."

Kitty snorted. "What kind of name is that?"

Bobby shot her a dirty look. "Shush!"

"The new groups' main goal, the say," the reporter continued. "Is too 'help humans feel safer by taking dangerous mutants off the street, by force if necessary', says the founder of the group. This way, both humans and mutants can live in co-existence."

"That's bullshit," Logan said.

Ororo nodded in agreement. "I don't understand exactly what these Friends of Humanity group is planning to accomplish."

"Nothing," Hank said sadly. "You can't _force_ mutants to co-exist with humans."

"I don't like the sound of them," Scott replied, worried. "It doesn't sound good."

"I agree," Ororo said.

Jean stood there and watched the news as it changed to another story.

_Sinister grinned. "…thanks to some…_friends_ of mine…"_

Jean frowned. "They have no idea what they're getting themselves into," she said softly.

Logan frowned as Jean. "What'd ya mean, Red?"

Jean turned to them. "The Friends of Humanity isn't good news," she told them.

"They don't sound like it," Hank said.

Ororo looked at her best friend. "You think this new group might have something to do with what happened to us?"

Jean looked at them and shrugged. "Honestly…I don't know."

Before anyone else could reply, Jean's cell phone rang. As Logan raised an eyebrow, Jean answered it. "Hello." Everyone else remained silent, their eyes on Jean as she talked. "Where?"

Jean closed her phone and walked out of the room without saying anything further. Everyone exchanged a look with each other. "What was that?" Ororo asked, knowing that Jean would've said something to her if it was important. Logan put down his beer and walked out, following Jean, with Ororo trailing behind him. Just as he opened the front door, he saw Jean in her car, speeding away from the mansion. Sighing, he and Ororo looked at each other; each wondering what Jean was keeping to herself.

* * *

Jean pulled her Mercedes up in the front of a large white building and parked next to a SUV where a black woman was leaning against the SUV. As Jean pulled in and shut the car off, she stepped out and walked over to the other woman. Jean looked at the building, then the woman.

"Took you long enough," the black haired woman said.

"What'd you find out?" Jean asked, getting right to the point.

The other woman stood up when Jean reached her and frowned. "What? No hello? No, how are you doing Elisabeth?"

Jean sighed. "Betsy…"

The younger woman smiled. "Right… I forgot you were on a mission." Jean rolled her eyes and Betsy pointed behind her. "See that?"

Jean nodded. "It's a building," she said dully.

"It's where the Hellfire Club resided while they were active," Betsy corrected. "From hearing about your dream, I might have a small lead as to who Sinister's mystery friend is."

"Who?"

Betsy reached inside the SUV and pulled out a file. Raising her eyebrow, Jean opened it and skimmed through the pages while Betsy spoke. "Jason Wyngarde, also known as Mastermind, the former leader of the Hellfire Club."

Jean frowned and shook her head. "Never heard of him."

"Because he disappeared," Betsy said. "Right after Hellfire broke up."

Closing the file, Jean asked, "How come Emma never mentioned him?"

Betsy frowned. "Since when has Emma ever talked about her past?"

"True."

"These, Friends of Humanity, aren't good news either."

Jean nodded. "I know. I can feel it. I'm more concerned with finding Sinister though."

Looking at Jean closely, Betsy frowned. "Jean, why are you letting this consume you?"

"I will never forgive him for what he did," Jean said, getting angered.

Betsy pressed on however. "It's changing you," she said softly.

Jean said nothing; her jaw tightened and her mouth was set in a straight line. As she turned back towards her car, she said, "I'll keep in contact."

Betsy sighed, but said nothing as she watched Jean walk off with the file. Seconds later, Jean was speeding off again…heading to god knows where…


	3. Chapter 3

**Three Weeks Later….**

Jean sat in the recliner watching the news with the other X-Men and Professor. Her growing suspiciousness with the new group, Friends of Humanity, continually grew. More mutants were either missing or killed; a number that was rapidly climbing and the X-Men didn't know what to do.

"This situation has indeed gotten much worse," Charles commented from the back of the room where Hank and Scott were standing on either side of him.

"It seems these Friends of Humanity have an agenda," Hank commented.

"Yeah, to terminate the mutant population," Scott replied, bitterly.

"I'm not sure," Charles said. "It seems as if they are focused on something. As if…they were searching for a certain mutant."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Hank said.

"So what're we going to do about it?" Bobby asked, standing up.

Jean watched him, but said nothing, turning her attention back to the television, but not really paying attention to what was on it. "All we can do is investigate," Charles told him.

"They're killing mutants and all you want to do is play reporter?" Bobby demanded.

"Yes," Charles said sternly, ending the conversation. Bobby clenched his jaw, but said nothing more, as he turned and walked out of the room, just as Logan was walking in. He gave Bobby a look as he stepped inside. "I think it'll be a good idea to secretly keep tabs on them," Charles added. "Then we will have a better idea of what steps there is to be taken."

"I agree," Hank said.

"I'll get the team together then," Scott said. "Ororo?"

Ororo nodded at him and stood up. "I'll prepare the jet," she said as she walked out.

Logan looked around, confused. "What's going on?"

"We're going to find out what the Friends of Humanity are up to," Scott told him. He switched his gaze from Logan to Jean. "Jean?" Jean didn't look up or acknowledge him. "Jean?" he asked again. Hearing her name, Jean looked up at Scott. "You coming?"

She shook her head and stood up as well. "No." Logan gave Jean a look but she ignored him.

Not wanted to argue with her, Scott just nodded and followed Hank and the Professor out of the room, leaving Jean and Logan alone. Logan crossed his arms across his chest and stared at Jean.

"What?"

"Where ya going now, Jeannie?" Logan asked gruffly.

Jean rolled her eyes. "Why is that your business?" she snapped, trying to push her way past Logan, but he wouldn't allow it. "Logan!" Jean warned.

"Jean, you need to snap out of it!" he said, grabbing her arms.

Jean's confused eyes met his fierce ones. "What are you talking about?"

"Sinister is gone, Jean. Madelyne is dead," he said slowly. "Two facts you can never change."

Jean roughly pulled herself from Logan's grasp. "He's still out there."

"But he's not your concern."

"He is!" Jean said angrily, brushing her way past Logan. He turned and watched her leave, shaking his head sadly and defeated.

* * *

Scott looked at their new surroundings in confusion and glanced at Ororo. "Are you sure these are the right coordinates?"

Ororo nodded. "Yes, they said right here."

Logan unhooked his seatbelt and looked out of the pilot's cockpit. All that was outside was the snowy woods. Cocking an eyebrow, he looked at the map in Ororo's hand. "This is upstate New York?"

"It's right on the boundary," Ororo explained. "But from the little information we have on them, it says that this is the location of where one of their bases is."

"One?" Hank asked.

Ororo nodded and bit her lip. "Yes, they have several more."

Scott unbuckled himself. "Well, let's go and check it out."

* * *

Jean pulled her car in an empty parking space and got out, clicking the alarm on it. She looked around at the doctor's office and its surrounding areas and judged it to be a good neighborhood. As she opened the door, she saw several elderly and middle aged people sitting down, waiting for their appointments. She walked up to the desk and knocked on the closed window. A few seconds later, it opened up, and an African American looked at her with no interest, handing her a clipboard with several papers on it. "Fill this out," she began dully. "Make sure you sign on the X's, do not skip anything and be honest…"

Jean looked at the clipboard that the woman held out. "Um…no. My name is Dr. Jean Grey…"

The woman rolled her eyes. "Oh…you're a doctor…" she said with sarcasm.

"I didn't mean it that way," Jean said, slowly losing her temper. "I spoke to someone here a few hours ago, about a doctor that used to work here. Nathanial Essex."

The woman looked at Jean carefully and signaled for her to go through the door on her left. Jean glanced at the door and opened it, getting dirty looks from the waiting patients as she did so. The woman then pointed down the hall. "Go down there, third room from the left. I'll be with you in a second."

Jean glanced down the hall, then at the woman's name tag that read, Natasha. A few minutes after entering the room, Natasha walked in, closed the door behind her, and locked it. Jean raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Natasha turned to her and gave her a serious expression.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I could get in?" she asked.

Jean crossed her arms across her chest. "No."

"A lot!" Natasha went behind a dusty desk and opened a drawer as she began to look around in it for something.

"Look, I need some information…"

"I know. I've known since you told me who you were."

Jean looked at the woman closely. "How'd you know?"

Natasha pulled out several file folders and placed them on the desk. Jean looked at them but hesitated. Looking at Natasha, she reached for the files and opened the first one. Her eyes widened when she realized what the file was on. "You're not the only one looking for answers," Natasha told her.

Jean looked up at the woman. "Are you a mutant?"

Natasha shook her head. "No…but my daughter is. Since working for Essex, I've been terrified for her." Jean reached for another file and looked through it. "I don't care about me, but my daughter is a different story."

"What did he do?"

"Who?"

Jean looked at her. "Essex. You said you worked for him. What did he do?"

Natasha shrugged. "At first, he was just a regular doctor. Giving shots and handing out stickers. But then…one day he came in late, which wasn't normal for him. He was, angry…different. Eventually, he stopped coming in. Then I got a phone call from him a week later telling me that he was opening up his own practice and he needed a nurse. He offered more money and I just had my daughter so I agreed." She paused and Jean looked up at her, silently urging her to continue. "I didn't know they were mutants, not that it matters, but the things he did…and what he talked about…"

"Why didn't you quit?" Jean asked.

"He threaten me and my daughter. Said he'd do the same to her if I spoke about what he did."

"What exactly did he do?" Natasha shook her head as her eyes teared up. "I have to know," Jean said softly.

"Just…horrible…deadly experiments. They suffered, most of them…"

By this point, Natasha was in tears. Jean felt helpless, at the same time, her blood was boiling. She picked up the folders, with all the X-Men's back round and medical information and looked at her. "Did he have these? Did he pull these up himself?"

Natasha calmed down slightly to answer her. "Yes. He called those his 'special case's'."

Leaving the office, Jean threw the files in the backseat, and started the engine. Speeding from the parking lot, she flipped open her phone and speed dialed a number. After a few rings, she said angrily, "You will not believe this…"


	4. Chapter 4

**WARNING: GRAPHIC MATERIAL!**

It was cold, wet, and dark inside; Ororo was shivering. Maybe it was her nerves, but she blamed the cold, rocky, passage-way. After confirming that the Friends of Humanity base, one of them, was actually underground, Logan and Scott had found an entrance. They had encountered a few patrol men, but Logan took care of them quickly and quietly. As Ororo followed Scott and Logan, and Hank and Remy brought up the rear, she began to wonder how big the base was because it seemed to never end. "How much further?"

"I can smell 'em, so not that far," Logan said.

Sure enough, he was right. Each X-Man took cover behind a wall as they peered around the corner. There was a large glass water tank in the middle of the large room with several tubes running from it and into the ground. Surrounding the tank were operating tables.

"What is this place?" Ororo whispered.

"Hell," Remy muttered.

They watched as armed men came from a door in the far corner, dragging a woman, who they assumed to be a mutant. Even though the female mutant struggled against them, the humans overpowered her. Ororo noticed the large metal containment around the mutant's neck. The men lifted the female and threw her on one of the tables and strapped her down tightly as she began to wail. One of the men backhanded her so viscously, blood sprayed from her mouth onto the floor. Ororo gasped and covered her mouth. Logan's eyes narrowed at the woman noting the bruises and cuts all over the woman. He also smelled dried blood and men on her; apparently raped, several times. Logan growled and moved forward, but Hank stopped him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him. The woman moaned as she was injected with something in her arm. Seconds later, she stopped moving. Sensing Ororo shift uneasily, Scott held her hand and squeezed, comforting her. None of them want to watch this, but they didn't have a choice.

"How's coming along?" one of the men asked the other.

The second one turned on a tool, an electric screwdriver, to what Logan could see. "Well, let's see," he said.

The first man spread apart the woman's legs as the second man came around. Logan and Scott exchanged glances; the later covering Ororo's ears and pressing her head in his chest so she didn't see.

The mutant's scream echoed throughout the base.

* * *

"I don't understand why we couldn't do anything!" Logan fumed, slamming the door behind him.

Jean looked up from reading her files then went back to her work. Scott and Hank stood on both sides of the Professor and Ororo sat down, holding her stomach, a disgusted look on her face. "What you witnessed," Charles began, "this procedure…"

"It's rape, Chuck," Logan snapped, growling.

"Logan," Hank warned.

"We let her die!" Logan yelled. "We didn't do a fuckin' thing!"

"We couldn't, Logan," Scott said softly. "It would've compromised the mission."

"Fuck the mission!" Logan cursed.

"We did nothing so we could save millions of others like her," Hank reasoned.

"They injected her with something," Scott told the Professor. "We believe she was part of an experiment."

"How so?"

"Her file said so," Scott said, putting it on his desk. Clearing his throat, he glanced at Jean real quick. "We brought the body back with us in hopes of finding out what's going on."

"I'm a chemical engineer though," Hank said, knowing Charles would ask him.

"I see." Charles, and everyone else, all looked at Jean.

Realizing the room got quiet and all eyes were on her, Jean looked up at them. "What?"

* * *

Jean stood in the infirmary and stared at the body bag in front of her. Logan stood on the opposite side of her, with his arms crossed, as he watched her. Finally snapping out of her daze, she looked at the clock on the wall, and sighed deeply. She first opened the folder that was found on the woman, the unzipped the bag. After she unzipped the feet, she glanced at the body and gently felt around the bones and bruises masked all over the body, from the toes to behind the ears; Jean checked every portion of her body. The mutant's body was covered in deep cuts, some intently and others inflicted bruises, broken bones, slashes and dried blood. Jean gently lifted the woman's head and examined her neck, seeing several puncture marks; inject marks from many needles. She then turned and examined her arms carefully, seeing slash marks on the wrist. Jean swallowed hard as she moved and positioned herself properly as she opened the woman's legs and spread them apart. Using the light above her, Jean looked around. Logan watched, feeling his blood boil at the condition of the woman, and the fact that Jean had to perform the examination. Jean frowned deeply as she concluded the examination. Standing up, she snapped off her rubber gloves, and walked over to the table grabbing the medical folder.

"You were right," she told Logan. "She bled to death." Jean skimmed a few pages and stopped on one. "This girl had it tough," she muttered.

"What?" Logan asked curiously.

"It says here that they fertilized her, so she became pregnant…" Jean drifted off and squinted her eyes to make sure she was reading the print correctly. Logan furrowed his brows and walked over to Jean, looking at the reports.

"What is it?"

Jean pointed to the paper. "It says right here what they were trying to do."

Logan looked at the writing. "This is Greek to me Jeannie."

Jean looked up at Logan. "They're trying to create a super mutant," she said.

* * *

"What exactly does that mean?" Ororo asked after Jean finished explaining her findings.

Jean sighed and looked at the X-Men sitting in the room, watching her intently. "They're taking DNA from mutants and coming them, creating a new DNA thread. In that thread, contains the powers that the DNA holds. With the right chemical balance, you can generate all those powers into one being," Jean explained to the best of her ability. "Theoretically…you can have an immortal human, or mutant."

Scott's mouth dropped. "You're kidding?"

Jean shook her head. "This mutant wasn't a good match," she told them. "If she hadn't died from DIC, she would've been killed during the next procedure. Her body couldn't handle the alternate DNA." Jean held up the folder. "These happened to several others as well. It wasn't just this one."

"She's one of many," Hank said. Jean nodded.

Scott pointed to the device behind Jean. "What's that?"

Jean turned behind her as Hank picked up the metal device that was once around the mutant's neck. "This," Hank said, holding it up so everyone could see. "It's what we believe to be a device that contains mutant's powers."

Ororo raised her eyebrows. "How?"

"The metal," he answered simply. "It's made with the same compound that the mutant cure was once made of."

Logan shook his head angrily. "If we don't do anything," he said. "This'll continue."

Charles wheeled his way in the middle of the them. "X-Men," he said. "I believe now is the time to put an end to this…once and for all."

* * *

Sorry the chapter was so weak...it did sound better on paper. The army doesn't give much personal type, so I kinda rushed it I think...It'll get better though (I hope!)

Please review


	5. Chapter 5

Jean sat at the foot of the bed and stared at the wall. She didn't need this now; she _really_ didn't need this now. Jean concluded one thing; she couldn't sleep. Every time she did, she'd get nightmares; strange nightmares that still didn't make much sense to her. As the door to her room opened, she turned and saw Logan walk in. Seeing her tired eyes and facial expression, Logan walked over to Jean and sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

He gently cupped her face and made her look at him. "Jeannie…"

She smiled weakly and sighed, looking down at her hands in her lap. "Logan," she started. "Can I ask you a question?" Logan nodded. "What do you think of having your own children?" she asked. "Someday?"

Logan looked at her for a few seconds, to see if she was serious. When he realized that she was, he shrugged. "I dunno," he replied honestly.

"Do you think we'll make a good family?" Jean asked.

Logan raised his eyebrow. "Why are ya askin' me these questions, Jeannie?"

Jean sighed. "Because…I'm, pregnant."

Logan blinked. "You're…?" Jean nodded. Logan sat there for a few minutes, staring into space. Jean watched him but said nothing. Slowly, a smile crept on Logan's face. "So…we're gonna be parents?" Jean nodded slowly, unsure of how Logan was really taking it. Part of her wanted to read his mind to put herself at ease, but she knew that was wrong. "Jean…that's great."

Jean let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Really?"

Logan nodded and kissed her softly, wiping away the tears from her face. "We'll make a great family."

Jean shook her head slowly. "But I'm terrified." Logan frowned. "What if Sinister finds out?"

"I want you to stay here," Logan told her sternly.

Jean shook her head quickly. "No. Logan, no."

Logan grabbed her hands and made her look at him. "Yes, Jean. I don't want to risk you being there."

"Logan," Jean protested.

Logan shook his head. "I don't care how powerful you are. Stay here…for me." Jean nodded slowly. "Why don't you get some rest?" he suggested.

Jean shook her head quickly. "No, I can't."

"Nightmares?" Jean nodded. "Then…go for a walk, or a drive. Clear your mind, but just keep out of trouble," he told her. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Jean nodded. As Logan got up, Jean grabbed his hand, stopping him. "Promise me you'll hurry and come back?"

Logan smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. "I promise," he said quietly.

* * *

Jean opened her eyes slowly and grinned as she sun shined brightly into the room through the curtains. She sat up and stretched herself, feeling more relaxed and content then she had ever before. She looked around and smiled at the pictures on the wall, having an odd feeling of the sense of belonging, accomplishment and love; as she belonged…but at the same time, didn't. Hearing footsteps pounding down the hallway, she glanced over at the door as a little girl with long red hair came running into the room and jumped on Jean's bed screaming, "Mommy, mommy!" excitingly.

Jean smiled and hugged the girl tightly. "Hey baby girl," she said, kissing her forehead. "What're you doing up so early?"

The little girl smiled brightly. "Daddy's up making breakfast," she told.

Jean smiled and rubbed her nose against the little girl, causing her to laugh. "Well then I think we should go downstairs and annoy Daddy…what do you think?"

The girl nodded and jumped off the bed. Jean laughed as she slipped her robe on and followed her downstairs.

Jean walked into the kitchen and saw her daughter spinning around in the chair, excitingly. She bit back a smile and turned her attention on the man cooking breakfast. He was taller than she, with short brown hair, neatly trimmed, and dressed nicely, wearing an cooking apron, which made him seem oddly very domestic. He turned around and smiled at Jean. His deep intense blue eyes captivated Jean and for a few seconds, she felt very dizzy. It pasted quickly as he stopped what he was doing to walk up to her and kiss her passionately. Fireworks went off in Jean's head as he deepened the kiss. Jean pulled away slightly, out of breath, and placed her heads on his broad chest. It was then that she saw the giant diamond ring on her left hand.

"You got a good sleep?" the man asked her, the smile never leaving her face.

Jean nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah."

His smile grew as he went back to cooking breakfast. Jean watched him as she walked around the outside bar. She saw a paper lying on the kitchen table and walked over to it, picking it up, and reading the front page. 'X-Men disbanded; Friends of Humanity in jail.'

Jean frowned and looked at the date. July 24, 2009. _This isn't right,_ a voice echoed in her head. Jean looked around in confusion, the feeling of euphoria and happiness quickly melted away. Looking at the big picture on the front of the paper, her frown deepened. _What the hell is this?_

"You know," the man began, snapping her out of her daze. "I'm glad this war is over." _War?_ "With the Friends of Humanity and Xavier brought to justice, our daughter can live in peace." _Daughter?_ Jean noticed that the little girl was smiling at her. _She looks just like me…_

"Yeah," Jean said softly. "Me too."

* * *

Jean's eyes snapped open and she sat up, getting a quick glance of her surroundings. She groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I can't believe I fell asleep again," she muttered angrily. Jean looked around and realized that she was sitting in her car in front of Golden Gate Park. She had taken Logan's advice and gone for a nice drive around Westchester, and then threw the city. She looked at the dashboard and saw the time and sighed, leaning back in the car. _What is wrong with me?_ she thought. _I'm always falling asleep now…_ As Jean was trying to figure out the answer, she squinted and leaned forward up to the steering wheel, seeing something in the far distance that caught her attention immediately. Shaking her head, Jean mumbled under her breath and started her car up. "Every time," she groaned. "It's always something." Shifted the car into drive, she shook her head. "Logan's gonna kill me…"

* * *

Emma stumbled on the pavement as she was shoved out of the store. Tipping slightly on her high heels so she wouldn't fall, she whirled around and pointed her finger at the overweight man standing in the doorway. "You're gonna regret this!"

He rolled his eyes and threw her purse at her. Emma's mouth dropped as he said, "Don't ever come back here!"

Glaring at the man and snatching up her purse, she yelled, "You can't do this to me! Do you even know who I am?"

"I know what you are," he retorted. "And that's fired!"

Emma scoffed and threw back her blonde hair. "Fine, but just remember. I was the _best_ wedding dress seller…ever!"

He rolled his eyes again and slammed the door in her face. Emma cursed under her breath and began walking quickly away from the store. She didn't get more than a block away when she looked back and realized that she was begin followed. Emma frowned, but continued to walk at a quick pace, with her senses on high. The more she walked, the more she focused her power on the man that was following her. It took a minute to realize there were more. Once she turned back again, the men, three of them, began to run. Emma screeched and took off running as well, across the street. She cursed under her breath and scolded herself for wearing high heels as she skipped a few steps and took them off, dropping them on the way to the entrance of the Park. She turned back again, and screamed loudly as the men began to catch up. "Hellllppppp!!!"

Emma cut through the park, jumping through kids' football games and hopping over couples picnics on the grass, and ran back into the street. She glanced quickly down the street and stopped, almost falling over, as she saw a silver car speeding towards them. Thinking it was going to hit her, she gave a yelp and hopped into the street. But the Mercedes turned sharply and cut spun in a circle, the tires burning rubber and throwing grass and dirt at the three men, catching them off guard. The window rolled down and Jean yelled at Emma to jump in. Surprised and relived, Emma did as she was told, and Jean hit the gas, avoiding hitting the cars as she sped back onto the road and headed for the highway. Emma gave a sigh of relief and lied back in the car as Jean shook her head slowly and muttered, "It's always something with you."


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay…you might get confused at the end of the chapter, and if you do, read the summary again._

**CAUTION:** Story is rated

Jean pulled the luxury car into the open garage and shut it off as her and Emma opened the doors and stepped out. Closing the doors, they walked into the house and into the kitchen, where Betsy came to greet them. Jean watched ass Betsy and Emma hugged, putting her keys on the bar table.

"How've you been?" Betsy asked Emma excitedly.

Emma shook her head and made a face. "Mortal life sucks!" Betsy looked at Jean, amused, as Emma continued. "Not being able to use your powers, listening to humans complain about mutants and their sucky life, trying to keep a low profile…"

Betsy giggled. "Sorry darling."

Emma shook her head and turned to Jean. "Thank you for rescuing me. I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if they had caught me."

Betsy raised her eyebrows. "Oh? A little action before you stopped by?"

Jean nodded. "Nothing too major."

Emma nodded as well. "Just the Friends of Humanity."

"_Just_?"

Jean gave Emma a look. "You know about them?"

Emma nodded once more. "Besides them being all over the news? I don't know of them personally, but their names have been transit for awhile now."

"Funny," Betsy said. "Because I haven't heard of them until recently."

"Same here," Jean added.

"Well, now I here there are more problems," Emma said. Betsy glanced at Jean and Emma noted their silent conversation. "What?" she asked.

"You heard of Mastermind?" Betsy asked.

Emma froze. Jean noticed her hesitation and took that as a yes. When Emma finally found her voice, she asked, "What about him?"

"We think he's working with Sinister," Jean told her.

Emma thought for a few minutes, and sat down. "I don't know why I never thought of that before," she whispered. Jean looked at her closely. "That makes sense."

"What?" Betsy asked.

Emma looked at her. "When Sinister attempted to take Phoenix's powers."

"Sinister never had that power to get into my mind," Jean said, catching on. "But _Mastermind_ does."

Emma nodded. "It's too much of a coincidence."

Jean sighed and leaned forward, on the counter. "Emma, if we're going to stop Mastermind and Sinister, which we will…I need to know everything about Mastermind."

"Okay," Emma agreed, sighing and leaning back in the chair. "I'll start from the beginning…the first time that I met Jason, and the Hellfire Club came into power…"

* * *

Logan's claws hit the keypad, and short circuited it, opening the door. He narrowed his eyes as it adjusted to the darkness, and kept into the base. Ororo, Scott, Bobby, and Remy rushed in behind him.

"How 'bout some light?" Logan grunted.

Remy pulled out a playing card and used his powers to ignite it and threw it in the middle of the floor. Making contact with an object, it exploded and lit the entire area. Scott looked around and saw a control panel. Walking over to it, he popped off the cover and flipped the switch. As the lights turned on, Logan relaxed his stance and looked around in confusion and anger.

"What happened?" Ororo asked. "Where did they do?"

The X-Men stood in the empty room where the tank and operating tables once were. Logan quickly went through one of the doors and looked around. A few minutes later, he walked back over to the X-Men and shook his head.

"They're gone," Scott said.

Logan shook his head angrily. "They knew we were on to them."

"Nothin' more we can do, homie," Remy said.

"He's right," Scott said. "Let's go back."

Logan muttered under his breath and followed his comrades out of the abandoned base.

* * *

Jean walked into her room quietly and closed the door. When she turned on the light, she saw Logan sitting on the bed, looking down, his face the mask of anger. " Logan?" He looked up, and his expression relaxed, but Jean could tell that he was still pissed about something. "What happened?"

Logan shook his head and stood up, kissing her passionately. Jean let him, not arguing, but when he began to lift her shirt, she pushed him off of her. He gave her a confused look and Jean stared at him. " Logan…what happened?"

He sighed and began to pace, feeling the moment was over. "They're gone."

Jean looked at him in confusion. "Who?"

"The fuckin' bastards!" Jean continued to stare at him as he stopped pacing. "They left because we knew about them. They somehow knew we were there."

Jean nodded, understanding. _Now they know about us…_ "Okay," Jean said quietly.

"I'm sorry."

Jean walked over to him and kissed him. "Hey," she said when they broke apart. "We'll get them, Logan. We will."

Logan shook his head. "How many more innocent people will they kill?" he growled.

Jean shook her head. "We…will…get…them," she said slowly so that he heard her clearly.

Logan nodded and looked at her stomach. "How's the little one?"

Jean smiled and looked down as well. "Fine." She sighed happily. "I still can't believe it."

Logan smiled. "Me either."

Jean looked deep into his eyes. "I love you."

"Love you too, Red."

* * *

Jean stirred in the bed and moaned; Logan stood over her, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest. Sweat poured down from her forehead, soaking the sheets, but she shivered.

"No," she moaned.

Logan watched her closely, wishing there was something he could do…but there wasn't.

_I wish I could help you somehow, Jeannie,_ he thought regretfully.

Quietly, Logan slipped out of the room.

* * *

Logan walked down the ark mansion. All the lights were out because everyone was asleep. As he approached the kitchen, he frowned. _Well, mostly everyone_.

Walking in, he saw Hank sitting at the counter, the stove light on, as he was eating a midnight snack and reading. Logan nodded towards the reading material. "What's that?"

"It's a book on the chemical components within the mind and body and how they react towards different species, stress, and time as one would say…"

Logan waved his hand, cutting him off. "Forget it," he muttered as he grabbed a beer.

Hank chuckled slightly. "So, what has you up at two in the mourning?"

Logan popped the top off and threw it on the counter. "Jean."

Hank frowned. With Logan's tone, and just the mention of the red head's name, Hank knew something was wrong. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It's her nightmares again," Logan said.

Hank's frown deepened. "Hmmm…"

Logan caught Hank's sudden blank expression and lowed his drink, frowning. "What?"

"Something that Emma Frost had mentioned to me not too long ago," Hank answered. "About telepaths and their nightmares."

"What're ya talkin' 'bout furball?"

"I think you need to talk to the Professor about this, Logan."

* * *

Jean watched, helpless, as they grabbed both Kitty and Jubilee forcefully. Jean struggled against the two strong men that had her in a firm hold. She felt Phoenix within her, struggling, crawling, to break free. She turned to Logan and Scott, who stood there, but did nothing to stop the FoH. "Dammit, do something!" she yelled at them.

Still…they did not move. Jean looked away and at the two young women, with tears in her eyes. Their clothes were tore, their bodies bloody and cut, and their faces streaked with dirt, tears and blood. Jean couldn't look anymore as the two humans pressed a gun to the girls' temples. _Why!_ her mind screamed. She felt the turmoil and fear; pain and anger all rising to the surface. As she watched, her eyes began to blaze with an intense fire; but still, she found herself helpless. She whirled on Ororo, her eyes burning a hole through the older woman. "Do something!" Jean was on the verge of demanding and half-way pleading.

But Ororo shook her head. "I can't."

_Can't?!?_ Jean screaming in anger, releasing her agony and fear as two loud bangs were heard…

…then silence.

Jean looked up, and at the two lifeless bodies that lied on the cold, wet, ground, blood pooling beneath them. She couldn't sense anything from them; they were dead. Her legs gave out under her and she fell to her knees, begin released. It didn't matter now though. Kitty and Jubilee were dead. She didn't even care anymore; she failed to protect them and mistakenly put her trust into the X-Men again.

"What happened?"

Jean looked up at the voice and recognized the man from her dreams. The only difference was his costume he was wearing, with two large M's on his chest, and the fact that he seemed more muscular.

"What happened?" he asked again, nearly screaming it.

"They killed them," Jean whispered.

He turned and looked at the bodies, and the two humans standing over them. He whirled around, his anger radiating off of him, eyes blazing, as he scanned the area. "Who did it?" No one moved; no one spoke. "WHO DID IT?!?"

Jean turned to the X-Men, her eyes glowing red; blood red. "_They_ did," she said shakily as she rose to her feet slowly.

The man shook his head, half disbelieving. "_You?_ After I spared your life for her…_you_?"

By this time, Jean was trembling with anger. She didn't care anymore; she let Phoenix take control, not caring of the consequences. Her body erupted into flames and Phoenix came out and surrounded her body. The firebirds eyes glowed, and focused on the X-Men. Jean pointed towards them; her eyes pitch black, face the mask of the devil itself. The X-Men looked at them, terrified, as Jean pointed to them and uttered two words: _"Destroy them!"_


	7. Chapter 7

**ONE WEEK LATER:**

Emma was sweating. It was by far the most difficult challenge that she was faced with yet. There were no powers; no reading minds. It was just _her_. She studied her opponent, hoping to see an opening somewhere, but finding none. Her enemy was steeled face. But it didn't stop her determination. Emma was trapped and she knew it. All that she needed though was one good, fatal blow, and Emma would be victorious.

She lifted her hand and picked up the plastic piece. She slid it into the opposite square and left it there, with her hand still on it, as she looked at her opponent. Neither blinked. Exhaling slowly, Emma lifted her hand up and sat back in her chair. Her opponent slowly moved one of her pieces and she sat back as well.

"Checkmate."

Emma stood up and stomped her foot down angrily. "Dammit!" Jean looked up from her magazine at her outburst and watched as Emma had a fit. Sighing and shaking her head, Jean went back to reading as Betsy laughed at Emma. "How do you always beat me?" Emma whined.

Betsy, still giggling, shrugged. "Dunno darling, but if both myself and Jean has beaten you…"

Jean raised her eyebrow as Emma folded her arms across her chest and sat back down, pouting. "I don't like losing."

"No one does," Betsy said as she stopped giggling. Then a thought occurred to her. "Why don't you play Jubilee?"

"No," Jean said, flipping a page in the magazine, "Jubes already beat her."

"Oh."

Emma rolled her eyes as Betsy turned around to look at Jean. "So…tell us."

Jean looked up and gave them a confused expression. "What?"

"The baby." Jean rolled her eyes and closed the magazine. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Jean stood up and put the magazine back on the table. "I'm not telling you."

"Why not?" Emma asked. "After everything we've been through together…?"

"No," Jean said, as she opened the door. "It's a surprise."

* * *

"Her nightmares have been getting worse." Charles at there and listened to Logan carefully. "Every night it's the same thing. Almost as if she's being tortured in it."

"And has it affected her here?"

"Yes!" Logan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Every since Jean found out about the baby, I've been able to keep her here, and keep her calm. Sinister's not always on her mind; Phoenix doesn't show up. Jean's been happy. But, lately, she's been angrier and is more distinct. She doesn't talk about the dreams anymore…just keeps it to herself."

Charles frowned. "It doesn't seem too unusual that a telepath is having nightmares, however in Jean's case with her past…"

Logan nodded. "It is."

"Precisely. What I am concerned about is exactly what these dreams are _about_," Charles said. "Maybe a session with her…"

Logan shook his head. "I dunno, Chuck."

" Logan, the best way to help her, is to help her soon," the older man said.

Logan thought about it for a few minutes, and then finally nodded. "Alright, but after we come back. Jean's been lookin' forward to this baby shoppin'."

Charles chuckled slightly. "As I'm sure you have as well."

Logan shot the Professor a look and growled as he walked out.

* * *

"So who's this Betsy character?" Hank asked as he and Ororo were sitting in the kitchen, making sandwiches.

"Oh, she and Jean are friends from college," Ororo answered.

"She's a mutant too?" Ororo nodded. "And how long have they known each other?"

Ororo shrugged as she slapped some mustard on one of the breads. "I'm not sure. All that I know is they were really good friends. Both were living here. Then one night, they went out together and never came back," she explained. "The Professor was so worried that he sent us out, me, Logan and Scott, to find them."

Hank raised his eyebrows, interested in the story. "What happened?"

Ororo cut the sandwich in half and placed them on a plate, avoiding Hank's question. He stared at her curiously and asked again, "What happened?"

Ororo sighed and stopped what she was doing, inhaling deeply, and looking at Hank, straight in the eye. "They ran into Sinister," she said as Hank's eyes grew wide. "I know you've always wondered why Jean has been so focused on killing him. The past is part of the reason."

"What happened?"

_Flash:_

"The Professor believes that Sinister knew of Jean's ability's long before she did," Ororo explained. "Since that time, he had been fascinated with her. From what I heard from Jean…she and Betsy went out on a girl's night late one Friday after school. Jean was twenty two while Betsy was twenty five. But they were best friends…"

_Jean and Betsy walk out of the club, laughing, and stumbling on the sidewalk. "Can you believe that guy?" Jean asked, bursting out with laughter._

_Betsy shook her head and wiped away a few tears from laughing so hard. "No. He was unbelievable!"_

_"He actually thought he would take us home with him!" Jean laughed again._

_Betsy giggled, wrapping her arm through Jean's, as both women walked down the street. "Oh, darling, this has been such a great night."_

_Jean smiled as they walked over to her SUV. "It has hasn't it?"_

_Betsy nodded as both women jumped in and Jean started the SUV up. As they were singing along to the radio, Jean entered the long highway on the mountain side, one of the shortcuts she knew to get back to the mansion. As she drove, she turned on the high beams, since the street had no lights. Jean peered over the steering wheel and narrowed her eyes, believing that she was looking at a man standing in the road. _Who would be out here this late? _she thought. Suddenly, the image disappeared. She blinked her eyes and rubbed them, believing it was all the drinking that she had done. Suddenly, the man appeared again, this time, right directly in front of her. Jean screamed out and slammed on the brakes. The SUV squealed and the tires burned rubber as Jean struggled to keep control of the SUV. The SUV spun out of control and hit the side railing, going right over the mountain top and crashing into the ground below._

_Jean grunted and with all her strength ripped the seat belt off of her. She fell and hit the top of the SUV awkwardly, realizing that they were upside down. "Betsy?" Jean cried out._

_"I'm okay," she heard the older woman say._

_"Okay," Jean said, trying to calm her nerves. "We have to get out."_

_As both struggled to pry open the door, Betsy stopped and listened. "Do you hear that?"_

_Jean stopped as well and listened. She turned around and froze. "Gas. It's leaking."_

_Realizing how little time they had, Jean moved her body and used all of her might to kick in the window. Successfully shattering it, she climbed out, cutting herself all over her legs, stomach and arms in the process. Once she hit the ground, grunting from the impact, Betsy climbed out and did the same. Jean rose to her feet first and pulled Betsy up and the two ran as fast as they could away from the vehicle. Within seconds, it exploded, the force sending Betsy and Jean to the ground painfully. Swatting the hair from her face, Jean watched as her SUV burned._

_"Impressive." Both women turned and saw a man dressed in a heavy, steal-like, suit, his face a pale white and his red eyes glowing at them. "I honestly thought you wouldn't make it alive," he said to them. "A true test of your strength."_

_As they rose to their feet, unsteadily, Betsy asked, "Who are you?"_

_The man laughed, demonically. "That is of no importance now." His gaze switched to Jean. "All I want…is you."_

"When we arrived on the scene," Ororo continued. "It was that morning, and all that was left of the scene was Jean's car. We thought for certain that they were killed because there was so much blood found around the SUV. We didn't realize until later that they were alive."

"How'd you find out?" Hank asked.

"Jean was able to reach us," she said simply.

"Well, what happened?"

"We don't know for sure," she replied. "Jean never told us and Betsy disappeared shortly after. We found them just outside New York, near death…"

_The Blackbird landed and just as the latch opened, _ _Logan__, Ororo and Scott rushed outside. "Jean!" Scott called out._

_Logan__ sniffed the air and extracted his metal claws. "I smell blood."_

_"What about Jean?" Ororo asked, panicked._

_Logan__ sniffed again and shook his head. "No," he said regretfully. _

_They quickly scouted the area, looking around the area that the Professor designated for them to search. As Ororo was walking, she noticed a trail of blood. "Scott, Logan!" Following it, they came upon two bodies…Jean and Betsy. But neither was moving._

_"Aw shit," _ _Logan__ cursed, retracting his claws and kneeling down next to them._

_"I'll get the jet," Ororo said, rushing off. _

_Both men kneeled down to the women and both exchanged looks of dread and fear._

_"What happened to them?" Scott whispered._

_Logan__ shook his head as the jet hovered over their heads. "Dunno, Cyke," he said, at a lost. "Dunno."_

Hank looked at Ororo as she finished and put everything back into the fridge. "Did you ever find out?"

Ororo shook her head and wiped her hands. "No. When they came back they were both…quiet, and distinct. Jean especially. Shortly after, Betsy got a job promotion and moved away. Jean withdrew even more."

Hank shook his head. "I had no idea. I mean…when I returned…"

Ororo smiled. "When you returned, things were going back to normal." She softly chuckled as she grabbed the plate and walked out. "Well…as normal as they get around here."

"Aw! Look how cute this is!" Jean squealed. Logan rolled his eyes as Jean waved a teddy bear in front of him. "Come on, Logan. Admit how cute it is." Logan stared at Jean and she grinned widely, on the verge of laughing out loud. "Come on…"

Logan shook his head stubbornly. "I ain't gonna do it."

Jean's eyes saddened and she put on her puppy dog face. "Please?"

Logan immediately felt his frustration melt away. _Dammit, why does she always do that to me?_ Logan sighed deeply and quickly muttered, "It's cute."

Jean smiled happily and through the stuffed animal in the cart on top of the millions of other baby products, and wrapped herself around him in a tight hug. "Thank you."

Logan rolled his eyes again and glanced at everything in the cart. "Ya think we can pay for this crap now?"

Jean nodded and the two proceeded to check out together. "Hey," Jean said, turning around and holding out her hand. "Let me pull the car up so we can hurry up and set this stuff up."

Logan frowned as he fished for the keys in his pocket. "The baby's not due for another six months, Jean."

Jean shrugged as she took the keys from him. "So?"

Logan looked back down at the cart. "And what makes you think that our kid'll be a girl?"

Jean smirked at him and leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "Because I'm the mother and the most powerful mutant on the planet."

Logan rolled his eyes again. "That's not a reason, darlin'."

Jean began to walk out at the store as she said, "It is for me."

Logan shook his head and chuckled as she walked out of the store and he began to load up the stuff to buy. _Damn, I love that woman…

* * *

_

Jean walked fairly quickly to the car and hit the button, unlocking it. As she approached the vehicle, she stopped a few feet from it, getting a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She looked around the parking lot, but didn't see anything strange. Shrugging it off, she approached the Mercedes and just as her hand touched the handle, she felt an arm wrap around her throat tightly, slightly choking her. From surprise, Jean dropped the keys on the ground. Before she could react any further, a white cloth was pressed against her nose and mouth.

Within seconds, Jean lost consciousness.

* * *

Logan walked out of the store pushing the cart and looked around for the car. Not seeing it, he frowned and sniffed the air. _Something's wrong. It _smells_ wrong._ Logan left the cart and jogged across the street. Remembering where he had parked, he then sprinted to the car. Seeing it, he slowed down, until he stopped, his eyes locked on the ground. The ground where the keys were lying. He looked around, but saw nothing that was out of place. What worried him even more was that he didn't see, nor sense, Jean anywhere. 


	8. Chapter 8

Logan burst into Charles classroom, panic stricken. The Professor, and students, all looked up at Logan, but he had his attention directly at Charles. "Jean's gone."

Charles eyes grew wide as Logan rushed out and ran down the corridor. Ororo opened the door to her classroom and saw Logan running down the hall, with Scott following close behind. "What's going on?" she asked concerned as Hank passed by.

"It's Jean," he said. Those two words stopped Ororo's heart.

----

Everything was dark, empty, and cold. Nothing could be seen, nothing to be felt, nothing to feel…she felt alone; incomplete and confused. _Where am I? What happened? _Jean's eyes slowly fluttered open and she blinked rapidly, trying to get used to the light shining in her eyes from above her. " Logan?" she croaked.

"He's not here," said a profound voice.

Jean frowned. _He sounds familiar…_ But Jean felt too weak. She tried moving and realized that she couldn't. She was dizzy, but wasn't poignant. _How…?_ So many questions ran through her mind. She swallowed hard, feeling her throat burn and her head pound. She attempted to at least move her fingers and it worked, but just a little. _Start off slowly…_

"No one will find you here," the deep voice said again. Jean frowned. Now that the person was closer, she could swear she knew who it was. Sure enough…she was correct. Standing over her was Sinister, the very enemy she swore vengeance upon. Her hands curled into fists; at least the drug was wearing off. He smiled down at her and she scowled, burning a hole into him. _If looks could kill…_

Sinister chuckled. "My, my…how the tables have turned, huh Ms. Grey?" Jean gritted her teeth and looked away, feeling the rage within her rise to the surface. "You were looking for me, _hunting_ me down and now…you're _my_ prisoner." Without looking, Jean knew he was smiling. "What do you have to say about that, Phoenix? Any last words?"

Jean looked at him, her eyes burning with anger. "Yeah," she said softly. "Bite me."

With all her strength she could beckon, Jean grabbed one of the scalpels from the table and stabbed Sinister in the shoulder with it. He cried out in pain and Jean lifted the table and slammed it against his skull. As Sinister fell, Jean swung her legs over the table and hit the ground. Slightly unstable, her knees made contact with the ground and she inhaled deeply. Using the palms of her hands, Jean sprinted up and began to run, out of the room and down the corridor. As she ran, she noticed the walls and floors were made of steel. She paid no more attention to it as the alarm sounded and the corridors reflected the red light, sirens, all around her. Her heart rate elevated, and her legs pumping, she continued running, faster than she had before. _Guess all those after school soccer games really paid off. _She came to a closed door and as she slowed down, she pounded it violently until it opened. As she began to rush in, she was stopped, a gun's barrel pressed against her chest. Instinctively, she raised her hands, her eyes traveling down to the gun, then at the man holding it, glaring at him. He pulled back the charging handle, but Jean didn't flinch.

"Night-night, pretty thing," he purred in a deep southern accent.

Jean ducked, sensing someone behind her, as gun fire broke out. She rolled upon her back, using her legs to throw herself back up, a move that Logan had taught her. She stood up, slightly out of breath, and looked around at the dead carcasses. She bent down and picked up one of the weapons. Pull the charging handle to the rear and locking it in place, she glanced inside and released the magazine. Seeing a full magazine was loaded, she reloaded it and slapped it forward, loading it entirely. Jean glanced both ways and turned to the right and ran through the room and into the atrium. As she continued to run, a few men came out from the corner, firing their guns. Jean stopped and raised her hand, stopping the bullets only inches from her. Lowering her hand, they dropped. The men raised their eyebrows then brought their weapons up again; but Jean was too swift for them, bringing up her gun and firing, empting the magazine completely. Satisfied, she stepped over the men and continued down the antechamber. Looking ahead, she saw an exit sign, and sped up. _Twenty feet…fifteen feet…ten feet…_ An arm appeared out of nowhere and caught Jean in her throat. The blow took her off her feet and she landed hard on her back, choking. She struggled against two men that grabbed her arms and raised her to her feet, but they held her tightly. Grunting with vehemence, Jean lifted her legs up, her body still being support by the two men, and kicked the guy in front of her, knocking him away. As she lowered her legs, she bent down and used their momentum against them, swinging them over her shoulders. Just as she turned around, a giant fist came out of nowhere and caught her on left cheek, knocking her to the ground. The man that hit her smirked as Jean lied on the ground.

"He was right. You _are_ feisty."

-------------

**Three years later...**

_flashback...;_

It was the same ritual everyday. She couldn't remember for how long though because they days meshed together. She's be awaken by the men banging on the bars loudly. She'd be fed dog food, sometimes worse than that, and then taken into the lab to have many tests and experiments done on her. The drugs they injected her with made her weak, nauseas, dizzy and see things. Many times she'd believe that the X-Men, Logan, had came and saved her…but it never happened. Then she'd be seated in a darkroom, with nothing but a chair and a screen in front of her. They'd strap her down tight to the chair that was bolted to the floor and then strap her head down so that he eyes never left the screen. They'd inject her with s serum, so she was paralyzed and watched what she was forced to see by them. A doctor, she presumed, would go through the slides, and tell another woman's life to her, convincing her that she was this person. For a long time, what seemed like years to her, it never worked. She fought the process, and she fought it hard. Everything changed to her though when she gave birth to her child. They were so happy that she wasn't beaten and she got real food. But the nightmares continued and the next day she was put back into the darkroom. Only this time…she began to listen.

"Your name is Monica Wyngarde."

_Monica_

"You were born October 19, 1971."

_39_

"You are married to Jason."

_Jason_

"Codename; Mastermind."

_Mastermind_

"You are a mutant. The strongest mutant in the Universe."

_Mutant_

"Your codename is Dark Phoenix."

_Dark _ _Phoenix_

"You have a child…named Rachel."

_Rachel_

"You are sworn enemies of the X-Men."

_X-Men_

They showed her horrific images; pictures and videos of the crimes the X-Men had done. How they attempted to kill her, her daughter, and her husband. Wolverine successfully killed her…_once;_ but her husband, Jason, brought her back. She was told before the accident, they were close. They loved each other, and their daughter, and despised the X-Men and what they stood for. The darkroom became a home to her; she was familiar with it. Her captures told her what they did was for her good and soon, all the evil and sins the X-Men cast onto her to make her good, would be banished. Then she could be free; her and her family. The darkroom never changed; never, but one thing. In the middle of the room sat a large crystal, one that she felt drawn too. Eventually, it was time for her to go. They told Mastermind she was ready; her previous life and all memories had been destroyed and replaced with the fake ones. His only response was an evil smile as he walked over to the sleeping woman and caressed her cheek.

_end flashback...; _

_Oh yes…Jean Grey was now free_

Emma turned right along a road and glanced around, looking for someone. It was dark so difficult to see as the road turned to dirt. Two headlights flashed at her twice and she knew she reached her destination. Flashing back, Emma turned the headlights off as she pulled up to the car and the man leaning against it. She turned the car off, keeping the lights on, and stepped out, glaring at the man.

"Emma Frost," he said smoothly.

"Jason."

He frowned. "No warm welcome?"

Emma stepped up to him. "You know why I'm here."

He raised his eyebrow. "Is that a statement or a question?"

Emma shook her head in disgust. "You haven't changed one bit."

"No, but you have. Former White Queen."

"You're right, I'm not that person anymore," she said proudly.

"Well…I'm happy for you."

She rolled her eyes. "Where's Jean?"

Jason frowned. "Who?"

Emma gritted her teeth. "Don't play games with me, Jase."

He chuckled softly and nodded. "What makes you think I know where she is?"

"Because you and Sinister are working together," she stated. "I know that she was kidnapped, and I'm sure it was by the FoH. I also know that they have a deal with you two as well."

"Well…I can see that you haven't lost your touch…completely."

"Where is she?"

"Wherever she wants to be," he said simply. Emma looked at him in confusion. " Phoenix does as she pleases…I have no control for that."

"What did Sinister do to her?"

Jason shrugged. "How should I know?"

"Listen," Emma growled, getting impatient. "I didn't agree to come here to get the ring around. I want answers!"

"You didn't come here to ask a million questions either," Jason retorted. "The reason why I contracted you was to deliver a message." She looked at him questionably. "Wolverine. Sinister wants him, therefore I do. If he comes willingly and doesn't put up a fight or get followed, then we won't kill Jean."

"You can't…"

"Oh, but I have," he smirked. "You have the information, now I suggest you use it."

He turned and jumped into the car and turned the engine over. Peeling out, Emma watched him leave, worried.

----


	9. Chapter 9

Logan was a man of honor; Wolverine was an animal of revenge. Both were loyal. Even as he called Wolverine his opposite, they both had something in common. Jean. Just hearing her name, or hearing others speak of her in the past tense, made both of them livid. It troubled the Professor, and Logan knew it. He was slowly losing control of his 'animal' because his anger was built up so much. He missed Jean; and he'd be the first one to admit it. His child and Jean. He didn't understand why they were taken. Logan took up Jean's former investigation of Sinister and where he was hiding, but came up with nothing. It tore Logan up inside knowing that something terrible happened to her; or that she was still alive and not really dead and she was suffering somewhere. Logan couldn't stand it. His nightmares never got any better and with Jean not there lying next to him, it was even harder for him. He'd always been someone on his own his entire life with no memory…but now it was even harder. Even with the X-Men, he felt that he had no place in the world anymore. No purpose.

As he walked down the hallway of the mansion, he frowned deeply, feeling his blood begin to boil. There it was again…Jean's scent. He'd been picking it up for the past couple of months lately and it worried Logan since he had no idea what it meant or what it _could_ mean.

_Please come back, Jeannie…_

----------

"It is odd," Charles commented after listening to Logan. "Storm has said the same thing." Logan raised his eyebrows questionably and looked at her, but said nothing. Ororo just simply nodded. "There are significant changes in the weather and air in general."

"Any idea what could cause this?"

Charles shook his head slowly, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. "Not at the moment," he said after a few minutes. "But give me time to figure it out."

Ororo and Logan nodded and left, respecting the older man's wishes, by stepping out. Once Charles saw that they were gone, he went into the cerebral room and wheeled his way to the helmet. Once he picked it up, the doors closed, sealing the room, and he placed the helmet on his head and focused on finding Jean…

-----

Jean pulled the minivan into the driveway and shut off the engine as the front door to the house opened and a little girl with long red hair came running out screaming, "Mommy! Mommy!"

Smiling, Jean opened the door and stepped out, grabbing the little girl and hugging her tightly. "Miss me?"

"Uh-huh."

Jean kissed her on the forehead and put her back down. Amused, she watched her run back into the house as Jean reached in the van and pressed the button to open the garage door, and then shut the van's driver side door. Walking around towards the back, she opened the truck and pulled out a relatively small box. Carrying it, she brought the box into the garage and closed it. Bringing the box into the house through the kitchen and into her office, she closed the door and turned on the light switch. She put down the box and walked over to the computer. Turning it on, she sat down, fixing a picture of her family and looked straight ahead at the college of pictures of the X-Men. She detested them. Everything they once stood for had been destroyed. They had ignored their values to help those that couldn't fight for themselves. It all started when they kidnapped her daughter as a means to 'save' her. She swore from that day on that she would destroy them. All she needed to do was wait; wait for the perfect moment and the perfect chance to catch them. Little did she know…that chance was coming real soon.

----

"So what'd they want with me?"

Emma rolled her eyes as Logan and sat down in the chair, holding her hand, her headache growing more intense. "What do you think, Logan?" she snapped, a little more than she wanted too. But she was too tired to explain or apologize. "You're number one of the mutant collection list and the human hit list."

Logan frowned. "The what?"

"It doesn't matter," Betsy jumped in, preventing an argument. "Think of it this way though. If you agree to this, you might be able to find Jean and see what's happened to her in these past three years."

Logan's eyes shined, as a new rapid hope filled his body. "Yeah…"

"Logan, that's suicide!" Scott snapped. "What if they did something to her to bring out Phoenix or something? What if she doesn't remember us or went through something that we can't fix or understand?"

Logan growled and grabbed Scott by the collar and threw him into the wall. Even though he made sense, and could be right, Logan couldn't help but feel angry at Scott. "Jean's not like that!"

Scott relaxed, not wanting to fight, and looked Logan in the eye. "No? What if she doesn't remember you, Logan?" Logan released him slowly and Scott looked at everyone around the room; Ororo, Hank, Bobby, Kitty, Marie, Remy, Betsy, Jubilee and Emma. "What if she doesn't remember any of us?"

"That _is_ Jason's game," Emma muttered.

"Emma!" Betsy warned.

Emma flashed her a dirty look. "What?" she snapped. "Four eyes makes a perfect point. Jason is called Mastermind for a _reason_!"

"That may very well be true," Ororo said, stepping forward, "but Jean is my best friend and she is strong. She fought through the Brotherhood, she fought through her powers and she even fought through herself."

Hank nodded. "Storm's right. If anyone has been able to come back from anything, Jean will."

"Jean or Phoenix," Kitty added.

Emma groaned and stood up. "You aren't understanding. You're not just against Mastermind. But you have Sinister and the FoH to worry about! Tell me this, do you honestly think that any of you would be able to defeat _all_ three of them by yourself?" Emma looked around and no one answered. "I didn't think so," she said quietly. "It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are or how many soldiers you have. They have history and smarts. Sinister has been studying Jean since she was a teenager." Reaching behind her on the table, Emma picked up the folder and held it up. "This is what Jean found. _This_." She throws it on the desk. "They're not your everyday villains. You have to _think_ like them…_act_ like them, because they will cut every corner just to stay ahead of you. For the past three years, they've done that. All they want Logan for is his mutation. Sinister and Mastermind don't give a damn about keeping their word or deal."

The room was cast into silence as everyone stared down at the floor or into space, until Kitty spoke up, "So…are we like, rescuing Jean, or what?"

Everyone looked up at her, but didn't say a word. Remy raised his hand from the back and waited until they all turned to him. "Might be a long shot," he said. "But Remy have an idea."

------

Logan walked up to the outside the cave and stood there, anxious, but tolerant at the same time. He looked up as he heard the jet's engine roar overhead. Without a second glance, the jet took off, leaving Logan by himself. He inhaled deeply and began to walk inside the dark cave. "Here goes nothin'," he muttered.

As he progressed into the cave, it began to get brighter, showing some light at the end, or what Logan assumed to be the end. Water dripped from the rocks that made the cave but Logan ignored the sound the best he could and focused on any surprises or ambushes that could come his way. He stopped and looked around, realizing that he had reached a dead end. Looking around, he saw what appeared to be a chamber and another opening to outside, but it was completely empty. He growled in frustration as he suddenly heard a noise. It was very soft and probably not able to reach the human ear, but Logan could hear it. He began to focus on it and turned to the source. Standing in front of him was man, about his height, grinning at him.

"Ah, Wolverine, you made it."

Logan frowned. "Yeah, I'm here. Now where's Jeannie?"

The man's grin grew. "Are you really sure you want to see her?"

Several images and thoughts of Jean's condition entered Logan's head. He didn't know if he was doing it or the man in front of him was, but none of the images were good. All ended in her death, or her being seriously injured.

"Where…is…she?" Logan growled treacherously, extended his claws.

As if hearing him, the giant Phoenix emblem firebird swept into the cave and stopped short of where Logan and the man were standing. Then, it began to change its form into a person. Logan watched in incredulity, never seeing anything quite like it, as the fire wrapped itself around Jean's body. She looked up, her eyes blazing, as Logan stared in astonishment. As the fires that licked Jean disappeared, her eyes returned to normal, and lied upon Logan.

"Jeannie…"

Cocking an eyebrow, she kept her gaze onto him as the man walked over next to her. Instantaneously, Logan got a bad feeling in his stomach. "The woman you see before you is not the Jean Grey you believe to exist," he said.

"What?"

"Jean Grey is dead," he stated more audaciously. "The woman before you is Dark Phoenix."

Logan shook his head. _No…no…_ "You're lying."

"You think so?" He turned to Jean. "He thinks I'm lying."

Her eyes turned black and the flames exploded from within her again, knocking Logan down to his feet. He looked up, as he black eyes looked at him with such revulsion and intensity, it actually frightened the animal within him. "Jean…" he started.

But she said nothing, and that worried Logan. As he stood to his feet, she let out another attack. Logan's eyes widened.

------

Ororo leaned forward in her seat of the cockpit of the jet and saw a huge explosion come from within the cave, causing a huge blast and smoke filling the sky. She looked on, in alarm and horror, as the sky darkened and went from grey, to a blood red color. "My god…"

She unbuckled and hit the button to unlock the latch door on the jet and got up, running out. Remy, Hank, Scott, Kitty and Marie soon followed suit. Each felt petrified; they'd never seen anything quite like this before, and they never felt too much trepidation. No matter what however; they had to prepare themselves. They just hoped Logan was alright.


	10. Chapter 10

Logan coughed as he threw a boulder off and him and stood up. He retracted his claws and coughed again as he stood up. He felt as if his lungs were on fire as he panted. Looking around, he found the man and Jean were gone, but he smelled their scent, so he knew they were around. He looked around circumspectly, and extended his claws. He didn't want to fight right away; he needed time to heal up his injuries. _Maybe Jean knows that and that's why she's still not attacking me,_ he thought hopefully. _Yeah, fat chance_ Wolverine retorted. "Come on," he sneered. "Show yourselves."

"Wolverine," came a voice. He turned towards it and saw Sinister walking up to him. "Amazing that you survived that. It's the very reason why I want you."

"What do ya want from me?"

Sinister stopped a few feet from him, perhaps to keep out of ills way. "I've been watching you," he said. "Your skills are remarkable. No where near Phoenix's, but close. With your powers, skills, and aggression…imagine what I could accomplish."

"_You_?"

Sinister laughed. "Why yes. By taking your DNA and genes…focusing on your immortal strength, no one, not even my enemies, could destroy me."

Logan shook his head and saw Jean in the far corner, watching. "What'd ya do to Jean?"

Sinister shrugged. "I did nothing."

"Bullshit."

"It's true," he replied. "I have no idea who this 'Jean' character is."

Logan frowned. "What're ya playin' at, bub?"

"Her name is not Jean," came another voice, walking up beside Sinister.

Logan narrowed his eyes. "Who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Mastermind and the Jean you know…and love…no longer exists. She was killed three years ago." Jean watched Logan closely, feeling the pain in his heart and hearing his thoughts, _No, it's not possible._

"I just saw her," he growled, his temper rising within him.

Mastermind shook his head. "No. You saw _Dark Phoenix_."

"Quit playing games, bub, or I swear, I'll slice you into chop liver!"

Mastermind grinned. "As I told you, Jean Grey is dead. Her daughter however…"

Logan's eyes widened. Their daughter was alive? After all these years? "Where?"

Jean frowned. Why would Jason tell these X-Men about their child?

_'What are you doing?'_ she demanded.

_'I've got this love.'_

Jean neither said nor projected nothing further. She had no reason to doubt him…yet. Before Mastermind could answer Logan, lightning struck the cave, going right through, and in between Logan and Mastermind. The light and blast was so concentrated, it knocked all tree men to their feet. Logan lowered his arm, from covering his eyes, and saw the other X-Men rush into the cave. Ororo's white eyes found Sinister and she lashed out another attack, hitting him square in the chest with a lightning bolt, knocking him against the rocky wall. Remy took out his card and threw it at Masterminds feet, knocking him back to the ground as well. As Scott stepped forward, hand on his visor, he used his powers as well. But Jean stepped from the shadows and stopped the blast using her telekinesis and sending it back at the X-Men, who all dived out of the way.

Hank came by Logan and helped him up. "You okay?"

Logan glared at him, dusting himself off. "I had this."

"We didn't know," Hank explained. "We saw the blast…"

"Jean's here, but something's wrong," he told the older man.

Hank only nodded and watched how both Sinister and Mastermind came beside Jean, who glared daggers at the X-Men. "Jean," Kitty said, releasing they were in a stand-off.

Jean frowned, her black eyes becoming clouded. "Why does everyone keep calling me Jean?" she demanded.

Sinister and Mastermind exchanged glances as Ororo replied, "Because that's your name."

Jean shook her head. "It is not.

"Remy tink we should get outta here now," Remy said.

Hank nodded his head. "I agree."

Just as they turned, Scott hit a force field and thrown to the ground, landing on his back, groaning. They turned around to see Sinister smiling. "You're not going anywhere."

------

Emma looked at the map and then crumpled it up. Betsy took her eyes off the road for a second to glare at Emma. "What're you doing?"

"This map isn't helping us!" Emma snapped. "We've been going around in circles for the past three hours!"

Betsy laughed. "Calm down. I'm taking the route that the Professor told us to take."

Emma crossed her arms. "You just don't want to admit that we're lost." Betsy giggled. "I don't know why we agreed to come here separately," Emma muttered.

Betsy rolled her eyes as Emma spotted something. In the distance, a huge cloud of smoke covered the sky, and parts of the sky were blood red. "Is, Ororo doing that?"

Emma shook her head. "I don't think so," she said slowly, baffled. "Hurry up."

Without hesitating, Betsy pressed harder on the gas of the jeep and headed in the direction of the smoke, praying that nothing had happened to them.

-----

Jean glared at them through the force field as she paced around it. Ororo followed her movements, feeling nervous. Logan attempted to break the force field with is claws, but to no avail. Jean glanced at him curiously. "What are you doing?"

Logan looked at her, feeling his anger inside of him, but not being able to bring it to the surface. Jean looked so innocent when she wasn't using the powers of Phoenix; it killed him. "I'm trying to break the force field."

She tilted her head, as if she was learning for the very first time. "Why?"

Logan stared at her. "Because, those are some very, very bad men."

Jean continued to stare at him, and then looked at everyone else, until her gaze reached back to Logan. "If they're bad…then what does that make all of you?"

Logan frowned, caught off guard, and he turned to Ororo. "Jean…" Ororo began. "…we're your friends, your family. We're the good guys."

Jean looked at her, her eyes and heart void of all emotion. Ororo didn't know what was creepier; the empty look in her eyes, or the anger in them. "You try to kill my daughter and those that I _do_ care about, and you're telling me that _you're_ the good guys?"

"Jean, you're making no sense," Scott said, coming closer. "We never tried to kill anyone. We haven't even seen your daughter."

Hank's eyes widened as he saw the reaction on Jean's face; confusion. "They brainwashed her," he said quietly.

Logan turned to the blue mutant. "What did you say?"

Hank looked up at Logan. "They erased her memory and placed false ones to replace the voids."

"Why would they do that?" Kitty asked.

"So they could control Phoenix and her powers," Emma said.

Mastermind narrowed his eyes at her. "Emma."

Emma waved at him and gave him a fake grin. "Hi, Jase. Hope you don't mind that we crashed your little party, do you?"

Jean looked from Emma to Jason. "Who are they?" she demanded.

Jason looked at Jean, but said nothing. "Oh, he didn't tell you?" Emma asked, making Jean turn her attention back to her. "He's my ex-husband."

Jason's eyes grew wide as Jean whirled on him. "What?" she bellowed.

"Uh-oh," Kitty said.

Logan smirked, knowing how Emma was playing. "You never want to piss Jeannie off."

As Emma distracted Mastermind, Betsy crept further into the cave until she came upon the crystal. "Ah, here we go." As she reached out to grab it, she felt a sharp pain in her back.

"You didn't honestly think you'd make it out of here with that, did you?" Sinister asked. Betsy glared at him as he prepared to attack her again. "Say good-bye…"

---

Jean glared at Jason. "What did she just say?"

"Nothing," he barked. "It's not important. She's lying."

Jean's gaze turned to Emma, who only met her stare, then turned back to Mastermind. "No…she's telling the truth." Jason backup up slightly and Jean followed suit, stepping up to him. Forgetting about the X-Men, and not caring about them, the shield fell and Scott step forward, and aimed at Sinister, knocking him off of Betsy. She sighed in relief and got up, grabbing the crystal.

Mastermind didn't know what had happened though as he stared into the eyes of the once Jean Grey. "Monica, I'm telling you…she's tricking you. I told you they'd do this."

Jean shook her head. He _had_ warned her…but she wasn't sure who to believe; she was confused. She turned around to face the X-Men and found that they were gone. She growled in frustration and transformed into the Phoenix bird and flew away from everyone.

Mastermind watched and cursed himself. Looking back, he saw Sinister unconscious and the crystal gone. In anger and frustration, he screamed at the top of his lungs, silently cursing the X-Men.


	11. Chapter 11

She didn't know anymore. She was so bewildered…she couldn't think straight. Knelt down, she looked down at the world below her, going about their lives not knowing of the pain she was in. Her memories were diverse. Ones she didn't ever remember actually living; she couldn't separate them, and Phoenix was in too much pain to help. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she ignored them. She was numb and couldn't feel anymore. So she was there, atop the hill, the only tall hill that looked down on the city and surrounding water. Her wrath was killing her; she was drowning in pain and confused in her soul.

"Jeannie?"

She stiffened. Of course she'd know he'd find her; he just had that about him. Predictable. A wave of anger overcame her and she heard Mastermind's voice in the back of her head. _It's his fault you fill this way. His fault…your child…_

Jean closed her eyes. Yes, her child. She searched his mind but found that he was blocking her. _Hiding something…_ Slowly, she turned to him, her eyes darker than the night sky with the moon hiding behind the clouds. For the first time since knowing him, Jean felt Logan's fear within him of her. She smiled. Revenge _was_ sweet.

"Jean," he said again, taking a few steps towards her.

_Foolish. _Phoenix was boiling to the core; her blood pressure was rising, her heart racing, and her powers burning through her skin. "My name…" Jean said slowly and spat with venom. "Is _not_ Jean!"

Logan's eyes widened as Jean unleashed her powers, fury, upon him. It hit him like a semi truck and picked him off his feet launching him into a tree and splitting it in half. He landed painfully, yards from her, groaning and spitting up blood. Jean didn't notice nor was she done. In fact…it was only the beginning. Before Logan could regain his balance, Jean was standing over him. With power he never knew she had, she picked him up, with no effort, by his shirt and threw him against another tree truck, knocking the wind out of him. Jean walked over to him, eyes black with fury, and he felt her emotions, her screaming out in pain. He stood, and extended his claws. She smirked.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jeannie," he panted.

She chuckled. "You think you're going to hurt me?" Despite his heart feeling like it was about to burst though his chest, he stood still, in a defensive position. She stared at him in the eyes and said, "I'd like to see you try."

Logan shook his head. "Don't make me do it, Jean."

She growled and her form became engulfed in flames. Focused on Logan, she screamed out, the firebird forming above her, screaming with her in sync. Logan was hit with a blast but he recovered quicker. Rushing at Jean, he punched her, but didn't use enough force to knock her down. The flames died down, but didn't disappear, as Jean recoiled and hit Logan in the face. He fell to his knees, stunned, as he touched his face and hissed. He turned to Jean and she saw the right side of his face was burned. She smirked, her black eyes glowing, and Logan growled, his eyes darkening as well. He leapt at her, but Jean step sided and caught him in the throat with her arm. Logan jumped up and swung his claws at her, catching her left arm. Crying out, she kicked him in the jaw, snapping his head back and his head hitting the ground first with a sickening impact. Before he had a chance to get up, Jean jumped on top of him, pinning him down and hit him, hard, on the side of his skull, then punched him again, over and over, all whilst sobbing. Growling in frustration, Logan blocked one of her blows and hit her, flipping her over to the side and pinning her down himself. Looking up at him, she noticed his eyes were now as black as hers. Bringing his hand down towards her chest, his claws still extended, Jean used both her hands to stop him and he only growled in anger. Using her might, Jean lifted her legs up, catching him off balance, and flipping him over her, to where she was now pinning him down. He put his other arm through hers and broke her grip, then punched her again in the face and threw her off. He jumped to his feet, just as she did, and the two stared at each other as thunder was heard crashing over their heads. Lost within Wolverine, Logan smirked, as his face wounds healed. Jean glared at him and stood still, bowing her head. Logan watched her, confused and intrigued. Jean then looked back up, an evil smirk on her face; her eyes pitch black with a tinge of red within them. No longer did she have any wounds on her face. Logan's eyes returned to original hazel as he looked at her, lost in feelings.

"My god," he muttered, letting down his defense. "What did they do to you?"

She shrugged, still smiling. "Tell me, Logan," she said, walking up to him, directly in his face. She grabbed his hand, and he retracted his claws. She gave a chuckle as she placed his hand on her chest. Leaning in closely, towards his ear, she asked, "Do you _feel_ anything?" Logan stepped back and looked at her in confusion as she continued to smile. "Go ahead," she purred. "I won't bite. Look…through Jean's bond with you."

Logan closed his eyes and concentrated on their link. What he found saw, and felt…was darkness. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. He swallowed hard, taking in what it all meant. _What did they do to you? _Through his blurred vision of tears. _Tears_. He had never cried in his hundreds of years of living, until now. His love one was lost. _They_ took her from him and did who knows what to her. He looked at her; at that evil smirk.

She laughed and hit him with a lethal fireball. He fell to the ground, unconscious. Jean walked over to his sleeping form and stood over him. She held out her hand, a fireball forming in it, as she stared at him. "So sorry, Wolvie," she purred. "But I think it's time you go."

Before she could kill him, Jean was hit by a lightning bolt. She hit a tree and sank down to the ground. Through blurred vision, she fought to catch her breath as her shirt continued to smoke. She coughed and looked up to see Ororo and the other X-Men, standing in front of the unconscious Logan, protecting him, and looking at her with hatred. As she stood, she laughed. "Well…about time you showed."

"Jean, this needs to end," Scott said. "Here. Whatever happened to you, whatever you've been through. We can fix it."

Jean cocked her head to one side and stared at them. "Fix it?" She opened her arms and the X-Men watched in amazement as Jean's clothes transformed. From her causal civilian clothes to that of comfortable caviler. Black suit with yellow gloves and boots and a giant yellow Phoenix in the middle of her chest. Her eyes glowed a bright white color, like that of Ororo's, but in it held Jean's fury and pain. She smiled at them and pointed in their direction. Fire emerged from her and launched right at the X-Men. Ororo's eyes widened and she lifted her hand up. In Jean's amazement, water came rising from the earth and surrounded the X-Men, extinguishing Jean's flames and protecting them as the flames reduced itself to smoke. Jean looked at her former best friend in admiration; she _was _good. Before the X-Men knew it, Jean disappeared within the flames. Looking around, Jean reappeared behind Ororo. Before the weather goddess knew it, Jean grabbed her by her hair and brought her down on Jean's knee, breaking several of her ribs. Throwing her down like a rag doll, Jean then turned onto Scott. He backed up and reached for his visor. She smiled and he swallowed hard. Pressing his visor, he unleashed his powers onto her. She only laughed as it seemed that her suit absorbed the power.

"Stop it!" Hank shouted. "You're only giving her more power!"

"I can't!" Scott yelled back, panicked.

Hank rushed Jean, but her eyes glowed and she looked at him, holding out her palm and using Scott's power to hit Hank, knocking him out. When Jean turned her attention back to Scott, he began sweating. Scott watched from behind her as Logan stood, his claws extended, and his darkened eyes on Jean. He came behind Jean and Scott's eyes widened, though Jean couldn't tell. "No!"

Logan screamed as he rammed his claws into Jean's back…but it never touched her. Instead, he hit a force field which bent the claws. He screamed out in pain as Jean turned around slowly to him, forgetting about Scott. "Did you honestly think you could fool me?" she asked in her demonic voice. She punched him so hard in the jaw that he fell back on his spine, crying out in pain. Jean stood over him once more. "I'm getting tired of you. I should've killed you when I first had the chance."

Putting her palms down in front of her, flames burned as they spewed out and hit Logan in his chest, full force. He screamed out in pain as it burned through his uniform, then his skin, down to his bones and metal skeleton. "No!" Scott screamed. But Jean made him to mind. She was so focused on killing the man that claimed to love her. He had tried to kill her daughter and make her life hell. She wouldn't stand for that. She laughed and stepped away as all that was left of the once destroyable Wolverine was ashes; ashes and melted metal. She smiled and continued to chuckle realizing that her powers had just killed a man supposedly un-destroyable.

Ororo lied on the ground, unable to move, as she watched in horror as Jean stepped away, laughing. "No!" she screamed, tears blocking her vision. Hank looked in horror and then at Jean.

"What did you do?" he whispered.

Hearing him, she turned to him. "What I'll do to all of you." She felt the power coursing through her and she loved it. Her pain and confusion was gone; she was _free_. All that stood in her way was the X-Men…and that was about to change. Her eyes glowed as she turned to Hank and Scott and the firebird formed above her. Her focus on them, she raised her hands and fire spewed out once more, just as she had done with Logan. Both men screamed out in pain. Their last thoughts… _'Why, Jean? Why…?'_


	12. Chapter 12

Jean laughed. Thunder crashed. And the rain fell hard. Scott and Hank were both on the ground, still groaning in pain. Jean hadn't killed them. She was close, but not finished. She laughed as she stood over them. Their uniforms were burnt badly turning their skin red and causing it to boil. It was clear that it was painful and she took great pleasure in it. She could feel their fear and pain and she basked in it. Holding her palms up, she smiled at them. "Any last words?" she taunted.

Scott, her former boyfriend, looked up at her, through his glasses, and swallowed hard. "Yeah," he choked out. "Look behind you."

Frowning, she turned slowly and her eyes widened and she quickly forgot about the X-Men. In front of her stood a skeleton. It looked at her. She could _feel_ it look at her. She watched in astonishment as the melted metal on the ground began to move. It swam to the skeleton, covering it, then attaching itself. Then, muscle began to form around the metallic bone. Tissue and muscle then made skin. Jean's confused look was quickly turned into an expression of anger as Logan now stood, fully embodied and exceedingly much alive, staring at her. "Don't you ever _stay_ dead?" she snapped, infuriated.

"Could say the same about you, Red," he smirked.

Jean snapped. Rushing at Logan and hitting him. But he easily blocked her hits and grabbed her arms, pulling her into him. "Stop this Jean."

Her eyes glowed with fury. "My name…is…_not_…Jean!"

Logan tightened his grip, causing her to whimper slightly. "Yes it is."

Jean lifted her knee and kicked Logan in between the legs, successfully releasing her. The flames consuming her body once more, she hit Logan in the jaw, sending him to the ground painfully. "I'm finishing this now," she growled, creating a large fireball.

"Jean!"

Jean rolled her eyes and sneered as she turned and saw two females, around her age, standing a few yards from her. "I'm getting sick of getting interrupted."

"Don't do it," the dark haired one said.

Jean titled her head at the woman with the accent. "Don't do what?" she taunted. "Kill them? Too late."

She turned quickly and threw the fireball at Logan, hitting him in the chest. Logan fell again, clutching his chest. He looked up, his eyes black, as he extended his claws and slowly rose to his feet. Emma saw him and held out her hand. "Logan, no!"

Jean turned just in time to see Logan rush at her. She step sided and grabbed his arm. He swung his other hand around and his claws caught Jean in the back. She screamed out and kicked him in the face as she bled, soaking the back of her uniform. Logan went after her again, but she put up a force field and he bounced off of it, excruciatingly. Barely able to stand, Ororo watched as Emma walked up to Jean. "Jean, stop this."

She smirked at her friend. "Why?"

"Because it's not you!" Emma screamed. "Jason…Mastermind…he tricked you." Jean blinked. Emma was getting through to her. "We never tried to hurt your child. We didn't even know about it."

Betsy walked up to them. "You need to remember, Jean. They kidnapped you. Can't you remember?"

Jean stepped away and blinked. "No," she whispered. "You're tricking me."

"Jean, if you don't remember, Phoenix needs too!" Emma said hysterically. "Protect your friends and family. Your child."

Jean shook her head. "No!"

With incredible strength, Jean used her powers and flung her and Betsy from her. As she did, she suddenly screamed out, her back on fire, as she turned, fighting the pain, and saw Ororo gritting her teeth as she used her powers on Jean. Jean clenched her jaw and stared at Ororo with pure hatred as the power began too much and she was thrown back and hit the back of the tree. As she sank to the ground, the world around her darkened. Until, there was nothing.

* * *

"They really did a number to her," Charles said.

"No kidding," Logan spat, pressing an ice pack to his neck.

The Professor looked at them. "Yes well, I also hear she did a number to all of you. Even letting out your dark sides."

Logan looked down and Ororo looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

Emma looked at her as Betsy monitored Jean's progress. Charles to Ororo. "Do you honestly think you would've been able to kill Jean if she had fought you?"

She swallowed hard. "Yes…but it wasn't Jean."

"Not the one you know, but Jean nonetheless."

Ororo looked down in shame as Scott painfully jumped off the table. "She almost killed us," he told Charles. "For god's sake, she actually turned Logan into dust!"

Charles looked at Logan, who nodded. "I need to reverse whatever was done to her before she really _does_ kill someone."

"It's too difficult," Emma said. Everyone looked at her as she looked up. "Jason really put effort into this. Jean's disillusion is on so many levels, it can't take one quick spell to return her to normal. He's affected Jean _and_ Phoenix."

Charles sighed. "Well, then I guess I'll need your help," he said to Emma.

Emma stared at the Professor then slowly shook her head. "Oh, no…"

"You need to."

"No, I can't," Emma said fearfully. "Do you honestly think that Jason and Sinister will be that forgoing just to let Jean out of their hands?"

Charles slowly shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Emma," Logan said softly, looking at her sadly. Emma looked at Logan and felt his pain through the look in his eyes. She didn't need to read his mind to know how tore up he felt. Logan was struggling; the hard truth of the possibly of Jean leaving him once more and the unknown whereabouts of his child. "If you can help Jean…"

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. What would Jean do for her? Would she face _her_ fears and save a friend? Did Jean even consider her to be a friend? She opened her eyes and looked up as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She saw Betsy looking at her, with a sense of admiration and fear. "I'll be with you," she whispered to Emma.

She smiled weakly and turned to Logan. "You too?"

Logan stared at her for a short time then nodded slowly. "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

Gathered around Jean, Charles sat at the head of Jean and the table she was lied upon with Emma and Betsy on one side, Logan on the other, and Ororo at the foot. They all held hands and the Professor looked at them each. "You all understand the risk in this?"

They all nodded and Ororo said, "We'd do anything for Jean."

Betsy smiled at the weather goddess. "She's our family."

Charles nodded and closed his eyes; the X-Men followed. He concentrated on Jean's mind, her aura, and focused on her location. _'Jean?'_ he called out.

* * *

A caged animal; trapped, with no escape and no hope to survive. A caged beast; trapped, in her own false and confusing memories, unable to determine her true nature and past. Just who was she? Jean walked. For how long, she didn't know; but she did know that the X-Men put her there. They ruined her life. Again. She had been so close; Jason told her. So close to freedom and yet again they destroyed her dream. She cursed them. But she cursed Jason and this new being, Sinister. They confused her; taunted her. Was she this, Jean Grey? Phoenix? Or Monica Wyngarde? She didn't know and it hurt too much. Jean clutched her head, hearing the voices again. She gritted her teeth.

'_I love you Jean.'_

'_We're having a baby.'_

"_The X-Men have tried to kill her"'_

_Jean turned sharply at Jason. "Who?"_

"_Who do you think?" Jean shook her head. "Your 'friends'."_

'_You're so beautiful.'_

'_Your name is Monica Wyngarde.' Jean shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks. 'Jean Grey does not exist. Phoenix does not exist. Only Dark Phoenix.'_

'_No!!!'_

"Jean?"

She lied, curled up, in a fatal position. He hands were on her head and tears ran freely from her face. She slowly looked up and shuddered. "No," she whispered, attempting to move away from him.

"Jean, no," Xavier said, reaching out a hand. "Don't be afraid, child."

_Something's not right,_ she thought. She squinted and saw that he was standing. _No wheelchair_. She stood up quickly. "Who are you?" she demanded.

He held up his hands and smiled. "I'm not trying to hurt you." He focused on something over her shoulder and pointed. "_He_ is."

Jean turned just as Logan leapt at her. She cried out as his claws slashed her shoulder. She dropped to one knee and clutched her bleeding shoulder as she glared at Logan, who only smiled at her. Just as he ran at her again, her eyes glowed and the flames engulfed her as she pointed to Logan. The fires of an infuriated Phoenix screamed and surrounded Logan. He screamed out and fell to the floor. Jean panted, looking down at him as Charles looked at her and smiled. She saw him and looked up, giving him a confused expression as he disappeared from her sight. She gasped and looked around, wondering where he went. She looked around frantically, but didn't see him. She looked down at Logan's body and watched as he faded away as well. She stepped back slightly and as she turned, she saw four figures walking towards her. She narrowed her eyes and made them out to be the X-Men.

"Jean."

She turned, her hair loosely following her, as she came face to face with Logan again. She used her telekinesis and slammed him into the wall. He hit it with a grunt and sank to the floor.

"Jean!" the Professor called out in alarm.

She panted heavily and watched as Logan slowly and unsteadily rose to his feet. She paused and looked at her shoulder as the wound and blood suddenly disappeared. She frowned and turned around to see Emma in front of her, grabbing her arms.

"Jean, you need to listen to me." Jean blinked, unable to focus, and looked at Emma in confusion. She was there, right in front of her, but she sounded so far away.

Ororo watched as Emma talked to Jean, slightly shaking her from time to time, as Jean appeared to be staring off into space. "Mastermind and Sinister are messing with you," Emma said frantically. "They're messing with your mind and making you see and believe in things that aren't true."

Jean blinked several times, trying to focus on Emma and her voice. "Wh-?"

Emma nodded, smiling slightly, for the first time believing that it'll work. "That's right. You need to remember. Your family, friends…your child."

Jean blinked some more, feeling tears sting her eyes. "Rachel?" she choked.

Logan blinked in disbelief. "We have a little girl?"

Recognizing his voice, Jean looked at him, studying him. Ororo watched her closely but noticed that she didn't attack him. Instead, she choked out, "Logan?"

He nodded and slowly walked over to her, careful not to piss her off in any way, and showing her that he meant no harm. "Ya. Jeannie, you gotta remember us," he pleaded. "Mastermind tricked you. You and Phoenix. Did a real number on ya."

She blinked several times attempting to take in his words and trying to understand what he was saying. But nothing made sense to her. "I…"

Charles walked up to carefully as well, the same distance as Logan, and kept an eye on her. "What is it, Jean?"

She sobbed, the flames surrounding her form disappeared and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Erik looked around. The power was still tense in the air but the fight was long gone. He slowly walked into the cave and looked around, studying the various machines. _Hmmm, has Essex's name on all of it._ He searched the entire cave, but found nothing interesting or as useful. He frowned in disappointment. He'd have nothing to report back to his brotherhood. As he began to leave, he heard whimpering. His brow furrowed and he followed the meek sound. He stopped in front of a desk and looked around, seeing nothing but the faded lights and the sobering machines and the darkness surrounding it. Frowning, he looked down at his feet and bent down, looking under the table. There, sat a little girl with fury red hair, sobbing quietly. "Well, well…" he smirked.

Little Rachel cried harder.


	13. Chapter 13

Mystique looked at the young girl, then at Erik, and glared at him. "What is that girl doing here?"

Erik smirked at her. "My dear, _she_ is the key to ending all of this." She rolled her eyes. "You see, if Nathanial and Mastermind knew where young Rachel was…"

"…Then they'd come and take her," Mystique finished.

"Precisely."

"But why would you want them to come here?" she asked. "Where we are as well. We all know what'll happen if they find her!"

"Ah, but what if Phoenix and the X-Men were told where she is as well?"

Mystique looked at Erik as if he were crazy, then said, "You want both of them to run into each other…?"

Erik nodded. "And together, the X-Men and I will rid of Sinister and Mastermind," he growled. "They will take care of my problems for me."

* * *

Logan walked into the infirmary and saw Emma and Hank working over Jean. Emma was holding on of Jean's hands and placed the other on Jean's forehead, with her eyes closed. Hank was writing some of the numbers down on a chart from the machine that Jean was hooked onto. As Logan walked up to them, Emma's eyes fluttered and she opened them, sighing heavily, and taking her hand off of Jean's forehead.

Logan raised his eyebrow and looked at her pained expression. "What happened?"

Emma shook her head. "I've been repairing the damage that Jason's done," she replied. "Trying to show Jean and Phoenix the memories that he suppressed."

Logan's gaze switched to Jean. "He never erased them?"

Emma shook her head. "No, not completely. Jean does have some dormant memories. The trick is bringing them to the surface. He did such a number on her that she's fighting me on it."

Logan looked up at Hank. "How is she doing other than mentally?"

"Fairly well, considering," the blue mutant answered.

"Considering what?"

"Whatever tests Sinister did on her," Hank answered.

Logan growled. "Do you know what _kind_ of tests?"

Hank regarded him and shook his head. "Honestly, no. I do not."

Emma looked up at Logan and heard his thoughts. "There's nothing you can do, Logan," she said, earning a look from him. "Nothing you could've done," she added.

"Miss Frost is right," Hank said, placing the charts down and taking off his glasses. "Whatever damage that Sinister and Mastermind has done to her, only she can reverse."

"If she doesn't remember anything, than how can she?" Logan snapped.

"With my help," came a voice. The trio turned around and saw the Professor, his attention focused on Jean.

"What're you talkin' 'bout?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowed.

But Charles never took his eyes off of Jean. "All we have to do is convince Phoenix…"

Emma stood up and glared at Charles. "Wait…_Phoenix_?" she bellowed. She looked around the room. "You've got to be kidding me." Charles shook his head sadly as Emma continued. "Do you have any idea how much of a risk that is?"

Charles turned to her. "Yes…I do."

"I don't think you do," Emma countered. "I've seen how Phoenix reacted when she realized she was betrayed and played for a fool. You'd be dooming us all if you decided to do that."

Charles shook his head. "If plan on getting her child back and stopping Sinister and Mastermind…this is the only way."

Emma shook her head, tears stinging her eyes, as she stormed out of the infirmary. Charles sighed as Logan stared down at him with his arms crossed across his chest. "Are ya sure 'bout this, Chuck?" he asked. "I don't want to see my kid or Jeannie get hurt, but at the same time, I want her to remember."

"You have to understand, Logan," the Professor began. "Jean may never recover from this."

Logan stared at him as Charles placed his hands over Jean's head and closed his eyes.

* * *

"This is so stupid," Jean muttered.

"_What more do you expect?"_

Jean rolled her eyes. "For one, I'm sick and tired of getting stuck here."

Phoenix chuckled. _"There is some irony in that, isn't there?"_

"There is? Well, why don't you explain it to me?"

"_You've never been patience, Jean Grey."_

"Not since you I haven't," Jean muttered.

"_We are one. The same."_

Jean shook her head. "I am _not_ the same as you. I don't murder people and get off on it."

"_Of course you do. Maybe not directly, but you Jean Grey, enjoy the kill. Though it tears you up in the end of the day, you keep coming back for more."_

Jean shook her head. "No. You killed Logan."

"_Ah, but he is very much alive." _Jean's eyes widened as tears rolled down her cheeks. _"And we still come to the same problem, Jean."_

Jean nodded. "_Who_ are we?"

"_Alas."_

"You are Jean Grey." Jean turned quickly and faced the new voice to see Charles smiling at her. "You are one of my first students. The best. Someone I treat as my own blood. Part of the X-Men."

Jean looked at him closely. "You know me?"

Charles nodded. "Yes. What you believe now, if anything, is a lie."

Jean's brow furrowed. "How do you know so much?"

"I know much for the ones I love," he said. "The man you know well, Jason, his mutant name is Mastermind. He can alter the perception of the imagination, breaking the realm of reality in your case. What is the truth and what is real."

"_He's telling the truth."_

Jean nodded. "I know."

Charles frowned. "Is, Phoenix with you?"

Jean frowned. "How do you know?"

"Like I said…I know a lot about you." Jean eyed him suspiciously. "There isn't a lot of time, Jean," he pressed. "If Sinister and Mastermind find your child…"

Jean's eyes widened. "Rachel."

Charles nodded. "If they find her, if they haven't already, I fear it'll have disastrous consequences."

Jean's hands curled into fists. "They betrayed me," she murmured. "I will kill them!"

* * *

Charles eyes snapped open as her fought to catch his breath and rolled away from Jean. Hank was immediately at his side as Logan saw Jean's eyes open. "Are you alright, Professor," Hank asked.

"Y-yes." He looked up as Jean sat up.

"Jeannie?"

She looked at him and began to cry. "Logan?"

He hugged her tightly and Jean squeezed back. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Shhh…it's fine," he whispered in her ear. "We're all here, we're all fine."

She sniffled and nodded. "What's the last thing you remember?" Hank asked.

"Uh…getting hit with something," she said. "Something powerful. Something…that hurt like hell."

Hank smirked. "That'll be Ororo's lightning bolt."

Jean's eyes widened. "Oh. No wonder I was out."

Logan chuckled as Jean turned Charles. "Where's Rachel?"

"Rachel?" Logan asked.

Jean smiled at him. "Our daughter."

He grinned. "We have a little girl?"

She nodded as Professor said, "Yes. A little girl who is in grave dangerous. Even now, Erik is contacting me telling me her location."

Jean focused in on his thoughts and said, "It's a trap."

"Well isn't that what we're so good at?" Logan said. "Going into traps?"

* * *

As Jean walked into the changing room located across the danger room, she saw Emma sitting on the bench, staring down at her hands. Jean took a seat next to her and stared straight ahead. When Emma finally noticed, she looked at Jean. Jean looked back at her and smiled. "You okay?" she asked. Emma shook her head. "What's wrong?"

"I feel like this whole situation is my fault," she said.

Jean frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I knew Jason the most…er, Mastermind," she corrected.

Jean nodded. "You mean, because you and Jason had a personally relationship that you feel responsible."

Emma sighed. "They never would've gone after you if I hadn't first."

"He was keeping tabs on you?" Jean asked.

Emma nodded. "We didn't exactly end on good terms. I knew he and Sinister had something going on behind my back."

"Logan," Jean said simply. "Sinister's been interested in Logan for a long time. Am I right?"

Emma nodded once more. "More than you before," she replied.

"It's not your fault, Emma," Jean said, standing up and grabbing her uniform. "We never got off on the right foot at first and look at us now." Emma looked up at her smirking face. "We're having a real conversation and we've both saved each other's life."

Emma smirked as well and stood up, proceeding to walk out. "Yeah. Too bad I'm not an X-Man," she joked. "That'll _really_ complete the story."

Jean chuckled as she grabbed a spare uniform and threw it at Emma, who caught it in surprise. "You're right," she said, walking past her. "And I couldn't think of a better teammate."

Emma watched Jean walk out. Her fingers traced the X emblem on the uniform as she smiled weakly. She finally belonged somewhere. Somewhere where she was welcome.

* * *

As Jean and Logan walked aboard the X-Jet, in their uniforms, Ororo gave her a weak smile. "Hey."

Jean smiled back, sitting behind her as Scott took the controls with Ororo. "Hey."

"Sorry about…"

Jean waved her off as she buckled into her seat. "Its fine, Ororo. I'm glad you stopped me before someone really god hurt," she said, glancing at Logan.

Ororo smiled at her best friend and went back to her controls as they powered up the jet. Jean glanced around at the X-Men as they mentally prepared for their battle. But Jean knew what the others didn't. They weren't just walking into a trap; they were walking up to death's door himself. Jean's powers were limitless, but she'd never actually put it to the test. Now, it was up to her. She saw it; their lives were in her hands. It was a trade off. The X-Men's lives for her own.

* * *

Charles, sitting in his wheelchair, watched as the X-Jet took off. He silently prayed for their save return, knowing that it was easier said than done. 


	14. Chapter 14

Jean and Logan led the group; Logan focusing on the scents of Mastermind and Sinister and Jean focused on their daughter.

"What is it with bad guys and underground caves?" Marie muttered.

Kitty laughed while Logan and Jean exchanged looks. As they walked further on, Logan stopped, raising his hand up, halting everyone behind them. "What is it?" Jean asked as Logan looked around.

"A trap," he answered merely.

Suddenly, the lights flashed on and the X-Men realized they were surrounded by several men holding guns at them. "FoH," Bobby muttered.

"Well, well, well," Sinister said as he approached. "The X-Men. What a surprise."

"Where's Rachel?" Jean demanded.

"Safe…for now. Just as Magneto," he mused.

"Magneto?" Ororo asked, her eyebrows rose.

"Yes." Sinister pointed to his left and the X-Men saw a large glass chamber where the unconscious Magneto, Pyro and Mystique were. But no Rachel.

"You bastard," Scott snapped, lunging forward. But Jean held out her arms and stopped him.

"Such hostility," Sinister chuckled. "I have one more surprise for you."

The watched as Sinister's eyes fell upon something behind them. Turning around, they saw Mastermind, holding a ray gun, and grinning at the X-Men. "Hello X-Men," he sneered. Firing the weapon, it hit Jean square in the chest and her back hit the rocky wall with a grunt as she fell to the ground.

"Jean!" Logan yelled. As he moved in her direction, the humans stepped up and pressed the muzzle of the weapon against his chest and cocked the hammer. Glaring at them, Logan growled in his throat, his eyes changing slightly, but he didn't move any further.

Logan saw Jean slowly, and painfully, getting to her feet as Kitty gasped and pointed over their heads. "Guys, what's that?"

They looked up and Logan's eyes widened. _It couldn't be…_

"Looks like Phoenix," Hank noted.

"I thought there was only one Phoenix," Peter commented.

Hank nodded and Logan said, "There is."

Ororo looked over at Jean and replied, "Then that means…"

Logan looked at Ororo and saw her concerned expression. "That Jean is no longer Phoenix."

"It's impossible though," Hank said. "Phoenix cannot survive without Jean." He looked at the weapon that Mastermind was holding. "That weapon…" he pondered.

Emma watched as the firebird started to form into a human shape. "It's impossible," she whispered.

Betsy watched as Phoenix turned into another version of Jean, resembling Dark Phoenix. "He ripped Phoenix right out of her."

Scott shook his head. "No, not Phoenix. Dark Phoenix," he said grimly.

The watched as Dark Phoenix, in the form of Jean, stared at the real Jean as she recovered from the blow.

"Dark Phoenix, goddess!" Sinister cried. "I came forward to serve you. To deliver you the woman that has imprisoned you for all these years." Sinister pointed at Jean. "Jean Grey."

Dark Phoenix turned sharply at Jean, her eyes darkened and the flames licked her body, as she glared at Jean.

"She's going to kill her," Marie said.

"She can't," Ororo replied. "If she does that Phoenix dies as well."

Scott shook his head. "I don't think it cares."

"We have to do something!" Bobby cried.

Logan nodded and extended his claws, slashing the first guy closest to him. Ororo's eyes turned white as lightning sizzled above their heads. Hank grabbed the closest human, who fired several shots, but Hank was too fast. Moving quickly, he grabbed the weapon, bent it, grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him into a dozen other men. Kitty grabbed Marie and used her powers to disappear within the ground while Bobby put up a frozen ice shield that blocked the advancing bullets as Scott used his optic blasts to blast through it and knock out the other men on the other side.

Jean looked at Dark Phoenix and slowly backed up. "I didn't do what he said I did," she tried to explain. "You can't do this."

"What?" Dark Phoenix hissed.

Jean swallowed hard. "If you kill me, then you do too."

Dark Phoenix smirked. "That's a risk I'm willing to take." She hurled a fireball at Jean but she dived out of the way in time and Dark Phoenix threw another one. Jean blocked it with her powers and threw it back. Dark Phoenix caught it and blew it up in her hands. She grinned as she approached Jean and punched her, hard. Jean fell to her knees and Dark Phoenix kicked her. The impact was so strong, that Jean heard the bone crack, as she was flipped in the air from the impact and landed on her side painfully. She groaned in pain and as she got on all fours, spit out blood as Dark Phoenix grabbed her by her hair. Jean broke the grip and punched her back then brought her knee up to her face.

Emma grabbed the gun out of the man's hand and punched him then used the gun and fired it at another guys knee caps, taking him down. Once the gun was out of bullets, she threw it down and turned around to see Mastermind watching them, grinning. "Jason!" she screamed, walking up to him. "Stop this!"

He laughed at her. "Why would I?" he challenged.

"Dark Phoenix will kill Jean!"

Mastermind shrugged. "And when that happens, I will have Dark Phoenix's powers and control."

Emma shook her head. "You know as well as I that the crystal was destroyed. Phoenix is unstable."

Mastermind smirked. "Not when I'm through with her."

"You're so thick headed!" Emma fumed just as Betsy came behind him and hit him on the neck, rendering him unconscious.

Peter grabbed two of the men and threw them together, knocking them out. Watching Ororo, Scott and Logan fighting beside each other, his attention switched to the chamber. Looking around, he spotted a pipe and picked it up. Forming up, he turned his body around twice and let go of the pipe. It hit the chamber and shattered the glass all over. Instinctively, he and the other X-Men ducked as the humans got hit with pieces of the glass. He ran over to the chamber and checked on the Brotherhood, awakening them.

Jean hit the wall again, but this time heard a pop in her shoulder, as she slid down to the ground. Phoenix threw another fireball at her, but Jean was able to move out of the way. Growing frustrated, Dark Phoenix threw other one. Jean blocked it and threw it back, hitting Dark Phoenix. "See?" she said, taunting her. "You're not as strong without me." Dark Phoenix growled and threw another one, once more, blocked by Jean. "Remember what you told me when you surfaced. We're one." Shrieking, Dark Phoenix threw another one followed by another, both missing Jean. But Dark Phoenix knew Jean was tiring; she was human. While Dark Phoenix could keep going, Jean could not. The more Dark Phoenix threw, the closer they got. Jean noticed the advantage that Dark Phoenix had and she leapt at her, tackling her to the ground and they rolled around, trying to get on the offensive, landing blows in the gut and face as they thrashed around. It finally ended with Dark Phoenix pinning Jean to the ground and holding a mighty fireball in her hand, raised above her.

Jean exhaled. "Go ahead." Dark Phoenix frowned. "Kill me." Dark Phoenix looked at her curiously and Jean saw her opprunity. "Even though there's a side of you that's tainted by human emotion and pain, you showed me what's worth living for in life." She watched as Dark Phoenix's eyes began to return to normal. "Phoenix is an entity filled of love and life that protects," Jean said, almost in a trance like voice. "Sinister and Mastermind have been tricking you. Using the human side of me to get to you."

Just as it seemed that Phoenix was about to back up Sinister thundered, "Kill her!" Something triggered in Phoenix as her eyes darkened once more. But the hesitation gave Jean enough time to use her powers and thrust Dark Phoenix off of her. Jumping to her feet, she dived out of the way as Dark Phoenix threw another fireball.

* * *

Marie and Kitty entered a dead end to the cave and looked around in the darkness. "We could use some light," Marie muttered. 

Hearing a noise, they watched as the cave became lit up slightly. The spark was then thrown and it lit up the cave and there standing in front of them, smirking, was Remy. "Gambit taught you ladies could use some help," he said.

Kitty leaned over to Marie. "He is so hot," she whispered.

Marie elbowed her in the gut and smiled sweetly at Remy. "That's sweet."

"What're you doin' anyways?"

"Looking for Rachel," Kitty answered, rubbing the spot where Marie nudged her.

Remy raised his eyebrows. "You tink she's in the cave?"

Marie nodded. "No way would Sinister keep her any further than an arms link away. She's got to be here."

Suddenly, they heard weeping coming from within the cave. The trio exchanged looks and Marie followed the sound, with Remy and Kitty bringing up the rear. Marie finally reached the source of the crying and kneeled down next to the little girl with the long red hair. "Hey, it's okay." The little girl looked up at her, her green eyes filled with tears. "We're friends," Marie said as Kitty and Remy caught up to her.

"Really?" the little girl asked.

Marie nodded. "Yes. What's your name?"

"Ra-Rachel," she sobbed.

Kitty knelt next to Marie and whispered, "There's no way that can be Jean's child. She's almost eight years old."

Marie noticed that it was true. Jean's daughter would be no older than four years. This girl was eight! But the resemblance was so scary. "We're friends of your mothers," she said.

Rachel sobbed louder and then did the unthinkable and jumped out, hugging Marie tightly. They exchanged looks as Rachel cried harder and muttered, "Mommy's gone," over and over again.

* * *

Logan slashed the man's chest then pushed his lifeless body away as he went for another. Once he went through at least a dozen men, he was face to face with a smirking Sinister. 

"Are you going to fight me?" Sinister asked, laughing.

Growling, Logan lunged forward and slammed his claws into Sinister's stomach. But nothing happened. Logan's fist went straight through. It wasn't Sinister at all. He smiled as Logan watched the image of Sinister disappear. He looked around, panting, and shouted, "Sinister! Show ya self!"

"Think you can find me?" Sinister taunted, his voice carrying through the thin air and echoing throughout the cave.

* * *

Marie, Remy, Kitty and Rachel ran down the cave like hallway until they reached other fork. Marie sighed. "I think we're going into circles," she said. "Everything looks the same." 

"Well duh!" Kitty snapped, rolling her eyes. "It's a _cave_! Of course everything will look the same!"

Marie exhaled in anger as she turned and gasped. Rachel, the once eight year old, now appeared to be sixteen. Before she could say anything, they heard shouting and an explosion. Rachel quickly took off, the trio following.

* * *

Once Scott blasted the last standing human they all gathered together, regrouping, as they saw Jean grunting as Dark Phoenix had Jean in a chokehold by using her powers. Jean's feet were off the ground and she was clutching her throat, gasping for air. Acting quickly, Scott used his powers and hit Dark Phoenix, releasing the hold on Jean. She hit the ground and gasped for air, coughing violently. Scott then proceeded to run up to Jean, but Logan stopped him. 

"Logan!" he snapped.

"No, wait," Logan said, watching them carefully.

Jean stared at Dark Phoenix. "We're not the enemy," she told Dark Phoenix as she punched her. Jean snapped her head back and hit Dark Phoenix as well.

"You talk non-sense," Dark Phoenix hissed.

Jean shook her head and held open her arms. "I don't. And I can prove it to you."

Dark Phoenix raised her eyebrow and regarded Jean. Dark Phoenix suddenly shaped back into a firebird and it screeched. The X-Men covered their ears as Jean closed her eyes and held her breath, expecting the worse. The firebird lunged at Jean and consumed her body with its flames. As the X-Men stood up straight, the sound disappearing, they watched as Jean was left standing, powerful, but unbalanced.

"Jean?" Logan said, hopefully.

Jean turned to them, her eyes their normal color, and smiled at them softly, all of her energy drained from her body. "It worked," she said hoarsely. As Logan began to walk over to Jean, they heard clapping. They all turned sharply and saw Sinister standing there, still smirking as he had before. "Jean Grey, you never disappoint me," he commended. "You all survived but the Brotherhood escaped." The X-Men looked around, realizing it was true, and turned back to face Sinister. Jean created a fireball, but Sinister held up his hands. "Ah-ah. You wouldn't want to do that now."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Give me a good reason."

"Rachel Grey," he said, smiling when he saw her reaction. "That's right, your daughter, remember her?"

Logan walked up beside Jean. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Here." Sinister said as Rachel, now in her early twenties approached.

Logan's eyes widened. "Uh, Jean….do you want to tell me something?"

Jean shook her head. "He must've done something," she tried to explain.

"She's in her twenties," Logan pointed out.

"I know," Jean said. "It has to be a spell or something."

Sinister turned to Rachel and pointed at Jean as Remy and the others ran up to the group, knowing they were too late. "She's the one that killed your mother!"

Rachel turned to Jean, her eyes blackening and her body being surrounded by flames. "Oh no," Jean muttered, rolling her eyes.

Both Logan and Jean backed up as Rachel stepped forward. "You have to get out of here," she told Logan.

He shook his head. "Not leaving without ya darlin'."

Jean turned sharply towards him. "Logan!" she snapped. "Please, do this for me."

Logan hesitated before finally nodding and turned to grab the X-Men and race back to the jet.

Jean turned and faced her daughter, who possessed Dark Phoenix's powers as well. As she threw a fireball, Jean realized her powers weren't too far evolved. A good sign. Jean easily blocked the attack and threw one of her one, hitting her square in the chest. "Not a lot of practice, huh?" she taunted. Rachel gave out a shout and punched Jean, sending her to her knees. Growling lowly, Jean did the same, throwing a right hook. Rachel's head snapped back and when she slowly turned to face Jean, who backed up shocked at her actions; blood ran down her cheek from the cut. Rachel smiled as Jean's eyes widened at the sight of Rachel's wound healing itself until it was completely gone. She threw a fireball at Jean and it hit her square in the chest as she hit the wall and fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Logan and the others quickly ran into the jet. "Logan," Emma snapped. "Why are we leaving Jean?" 

He glanced at Scott and Ororo firing up the engines as he answered, "She's fighting our daughter."

Emma's eyes widened as Betsy replied, "That's impossible."

"Apparently not," Logan drawled.

"But…Jean's only been gone for three years," Hank said. "The woman in there appears to be at least twenty."

Logan nodded. "I know. Jean seems to think Sinister has something to do with it."

"Fascinating."

As Logan moved to the back of the jet, Marie grabbed his arm. "Where're you going?"

He smiled painfully at her. "To save my family." He turned back and saw all eyes on him. "Don't wait up," he said before he ran down the ramp of the jet and back towards the cave.

* * *

Rachel stood over Jean and smirked, forming a fireball over her head, and preparing to strike Jean with it. "Good bye, murderer." 

"Hey!" Rachel turned quickly to see Wolverine standing a few feet from her, his claws extended, and his eyes boring into hers. She grinned. "Think you can stop me before I kill her?"

Logan's eyes widened as Rachel brought the fireball down…but it hit nothing. Rachel spun around to see Jean standing there, the firebird hovering above her, as Jean's dark eyes met Rachel's. Jean extended her arms and the firebird screeched, and then looked upon its prey: Rachel.

"No!" Logan yelled.

But his words were drowned out by Rachel's screaming as the bird consumed her, inside and out. Then the flames died down and Jean's eyes returned to normal as Logan retracted his claws, staring at Jean in disbelief. He walked a few feet before the smoke cleared. Standing there, in between Logan and Jean, was Rachel. Three year old Rachel holding her teddy bear and looking at her parents. Logan smiled and exhaled in relief as he ran to her and hugged Rachel tightly. Jean watched and smiled, knowing that her body was drained of all of her energy. Finding that she couldn't walk to her family, she dropped to her knees. Feeling something drip from her nose, she wiped it and found blood on her hand; her nose was bleeding as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Logan saw Jean and frowned, his heart racing. "Jean?" Leaving Rachel he ran over to Jean just as she collapsed. Moving his hand around her X-Men uniform, he searched for a pulse. "Jean!"

"What's wrong with Mommy?" little Rachel asked.

Logan shook his head and ripped open the top of Jean's uniform and pressed his ear to her chest. As he was doing so, the entire cave rumbled. Logan looked up franticly and his eyes darted left and right. "No," he whispered painfully. The cave was unstable. What made it worse was that Logan noticed one of Sinister's machines was beeping, flashing 'Overheated' on the panel. "No, no, no." Logan looked back at Jean and then at Rachel. He knew he wouldn't be able to carry Rachel _and_ Jean out of the cave in time; and it was about to go nuclear.

'_Go'_

Logan frowned. "Jeannie?"

But he didn't hear her again. His eyes darted side to side and he looked down at Jean as the machine began to spark. He kissed her softly then stood up quickly and grabbed Rachel, hauling ass as the machine began to fry.

* * *

"Where is he?" Scott snapped. 

Ororo shot him a look. "Be patience! He's coming."

Kitty pointed down at the cave. "Guys, look!"

They looked out the cockpit window and saw as the cave began to rumble. "Oh no," Ororo muttered.

"There he is!" Betsy shouted, spotting Logan running out of the cave.

"Lower the jet!" Marie said.

Scott did so and Ororo lowered the ramp. Once Marie gave them the heads up, she pulled it back up and Scott took off as the cave exploded below them. Once they were in the clear, Ororo unbuckled her seat belt and went to the back. Seeing Logan, she hugged him and noticed Rachel sitting in the corner playing with her stuffed animal as Scott came behind her.

"Where's Jean?" he asked feeling a sense of dread deep within his heart.

Logan looked up at him and didn't say a word. They already knew. Jean was gone.

* * *

Please review and tell me if you'd like to see another sequel 


	15. Chapter 15

"It's amazing," Ororo said softly.

Looking up from his sleeping daughter, Logan glanced at Ororo. "What?"

"Rachel," Ororo replied. "All of the sacrifices that had to be made…and here she is."

Logan looked back at the red head, the splitting image of Jean. "You think it's a miracle?" Ororo raised her eyebrow and Logan shrugged. "I've never believed in 'em. But… do you think she was?" he asked, referring to Rachel.

After pondering the thought, she nodded. "I think so."

Logan grunted, leaning against the doorframe. "I still can't believe Sinister escaped."

Ororo placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. He'll be stupid to show his face again." Logan nodded and Ororo looked at him, remembering something. "Whatever happened to Mastermind?"

"He was left there," Logan said simply. Ororo nodded, putting two and two together. He died with Jean in the cave.

"Did she suffer?" she asked suddenly.

Logan looked at her sharply. "What kinda question is that, 'Ro?"

"I need to know," she said desperately.

Logan grunted and shook his head. "No," he whispered. Ororo nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "She saw Rachel one last time," Logan added softly. Ororo turned and looked at his pained expression, but let him continue. "I think…I think Sinister was testing her. He wanted to see how far Jean would go. If she would let her negative out." Ororo watched him closely as he reflected on Jean's last moments. "She knew that if she _didn't_ let Dark Phoenix out, Rachel was going to become a killer and be overwhelmed by the power." Logan turned towards Jean's best friend. "She did something. Whatever age alternating spell he put on her, Jean stopped it." He looked back at Rachel. "But it killed her." He closed his eyes. "God, 'Ro. Why'd she have to do it?"

Ororo hugged him as he openly cried. "That's what she does Logan," she coaxed.

"I loved her! I loved her so god damn much!"

Ororo was at a loss for words. Logan wasn't a man to breakdown like this. He wasn't one to convey his feelings; he was one to bury them. For the first time in his life, the fierce Wolverine had a mental breakdown.

Emma stood over Jean's grave and looked at her picture and burning candle beside it as her blonde hair flowed behind her and her black dress flopped around in the wind. Emma didn't have the experience of the others in dealing with Jean's death again. This was her first. For the first time in her life, Jean, and the X-Men, had accepted Emma and forgiven her of her past misdeeds. Jean was the first person to do so, so naturally Emma considered her a friend. If anything more; a sister. For someone like that to simply not be there anymore…it was a first for her.

"Emma?"

She turned around to see Charles behind her. She quickly wiped her eyes as he smiled warmly at her. "Charles," she said surprised.

"I came over to ask a favor of you," he said. Emma looked at him curiously. "I am suppose to give a speech on Jean however, I would like if you would do it for me."

Emma's eyes widened. "Me?" The Professor nodded and she shook her head, beginning to walk away. "No, I don't think so."

He turned his wheelchair around. "Jean trusted you," he said, causing her to stop and turn around.

"One of them should do it," she said, pointing at the crowd of Jean's family and friends.

"No, you need to."

"Why?"

"Like I said," Charles replied. "Jean trusted you. She saw something inside of you that even I didn't at first. If the situation and roles were reversed, and it was you in that cave, she would do the same for you." Emma just stared at him and looked down. "You'll do great child," he said, wheeling himself away. "Just speak from the heart."

Emma turned and watched him join the crowd. She saw both Logan and Ororo coming out of the mansion and joining everyone. She and Logan made eye contact briefly before he broke it and went over to Marie, hugging her. As everyone settled in, Emma walked up to the podium and glanced back over at the headstone. Looking up, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, as everyone took their seats and quieted down. She looked at the crowd and froze. What was she suppose to say? She wasn't like everyone else here that either loved her dearly or grew up with her. She scanned the faces of Scott, the man she grew up with since her teenager years and first dated; Ororo, her first female friend and best friend; Hank, her fellow scientist and doctor and teacher; Marie, Kitty, Bobby, Jubilee, Remy, and Peter, all her students who adored her and looked up to her; Charles Xavier, her father figure, teacher, friend and mentor and finally, Logan. Her love; the father of her child and the light of her soul. In her darkest moment, she was there. In his, she was there. They completed each other and knew, understood each other, more than anyone else.

Emma cleared her throat. "Jean Grey…" she began, feeling everyone's emotions together; the loneliness, melancholy, grief, and antagonism. "Jean…" she paused and took in a deep breath looking down and collecting her thoughts. "She was a comrade. My first friend, honestly. My entire life, I had been denied everything. I never had a family. Never had friends that truly cared about me. No one ever paid attention to me." She took in another deep breath. "Jean did though. We never liked each other at first, but we were forced to work together. The trust wasn't built between us, it was required. But I'm thankful I did. I saw, for the first time, that Jean was hard working and a gentle, loving, soul. She cared for everyone in the school and even people she never met before. Though we all have our dark side and our saddest moments…Jean was still there for everyone. In the short time that I knew her, I'm relieved to say that I was honored to have a friend like her." She picked up the small yellow rope from the podium and picked up the small tin cup. She held up the rope over the tin and closed her eyes tight, stopping the water that stung her eyes and opened them again. "This rope represents Jean's mortal life; body, mind and soul." She slowly lowered in the cup. "May her body be rested as she moves on to the immortal realm. May her mind be freed of her corporeal body, remembering her loved ones as she leaves the earthly world. And her soul; may the goodness be carried with her, cleansed of the sins of the earth." Once the rope was gone, she placed her hand over the tin and held it up for everyone to see. "Like the legendary Phoenix," she said, her eyes on Logan. "She shall rise again, stronger, wiser, and more powerful than before. May Jean find eternal peace." She lifted her hand from the cup and a Dove flew out. The X-Men watched as the Dove flew over them, then away.

In the mansion, standing in the window, Rachel watched as the ceremony was conducted. Unconsciously, she reached around her neck and pulled out her necklace. Her hands stroked the gold Phoenix dangling from the chain as she watched everyone watch the Dove fly away. She smiled slightly, still holding the Phoenix necklace, as he eyes flashed for a split second, the red crimson that was known to others as Phoenix. Rachel Grey smirked as she turned around and looked at the picture of her mother that stood on the dresser. In the picture, Jean's eyes flashed crimson red as well…

…and Rachel laughed.

****

_Water grey  
Through the windows, up the stairs_

Chilling rain  
Like an ocean everywhere

Chorus  
Don't want to reach for me do you  
I mean nothing to you  
The little things give you away

And now there will be no mistaking  
The levees are breaking

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under water  
I  
Do  
End Chorus

Hope decays  
Generations disappear

Washed away  
As a nation simply stares

Chorus  
Don't want to reach for me do you  
I mean nothing to you  
The little things give you away

But there will be no mistaking  
The levees are breaking

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under water  
I  
Do

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

And six feet under ground now  
I  
Now I do  
End Chorus

Brad's Guitar Solo

Little things give you away  
Little things give you away  
Little things give you away  
Little things give you away  
Little things give you away

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

All you've ever wanted  
Was someone to truly look up to you

(Little things give you away)

**THE END**

* * *

**Yep...finally the end of the road of the three part story connected to the three movies. Since the creators are doing six movies of the X-Men, when I was writing the end of Legacy, I planned on doing the same thing, but revolving it around Logan and Jean and bringing in new villians and characters. For those you that have followed this from Legacy, THANK YOU! Legacy turned out to be a big hit for me, but both sequels didn't. Not a big deal, I know people read and that's all I really ask. I can't force anyone to do anything. I'm also making my own poster for these stories. If you want to see them, let me know and when I finish, I'll send you the link.**

**Now, since I am active military, I don't have that much time anymore for my stories and I will be going to Germany soon. So, while this story can have a sequel, I'm not writing one. HOWEVER; since my favorite author, _Dark Phoenix Rising_, asked me to at least do a one shot of Jean returning. Normally, I don't do one shots. But I am willing to make an exception. So, THERE WILL BE THE MINI SEQUEL TO THIS. Look out for it. I'll make it worth your while and challenge you to PM'ing me ideas of yours to put into the one shot. Up to the challenge? ;). To add in the closing, I also want to do another X-Men story, and possibly my last in this section, not at all attached to this trilogy, but involving ALL the X-Men characters, concerning Logan/Jean/Scott/Ororo/Rogue more, and introducing the character of Shadow King to my writing in the movie-verse. In the trilogy, I never used Gambit much, except in the first one. I want to learn more about him and put him in and use Rogue's powers. It WILL be a LOGAN/JEAN fic.**

**That's all folks, thanks for sticking with me on this ride:-)**

**X- MEN: THE LEGACY**

**X- MEN: ASHES TO ASHES**

**X- MEN: AFTERLIFE**

**-_Destiny_**

**"The Little Things Give You Away" by Linkin Park**


End file.
